We will be getting the vegetable gardens ready and cutting down the vegetation and removing it from the two rain gardens. There will also be the opportunity for ongoing removal of invasives in the woods, specifically the squill!  Bring rakes, hedge shears, gloves for rain garden work, and shovels, trowels and gloves for the squill in the woods.

It’s Comedy Night in Minnetonka, Saturday, March 18, right here at St. Luke!  The St. Luke folk group will start things off at 5:45 pm.  Then stand-up comic/storyteller/ventriloquist Bill Chadwick will entertain. Piggy-backing off our March Change for Change recipient, a free-will offering for ICA Foodshelf will be taken.  

Bill has appeared at Acme Comedy Club, Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy at the Mall of America, Sisyphus Brewing, Comedy Corner Underground, Camp Bar, and other comedy clubs around the Twin Cities.  In addition, he regularly provides entertainment at churches and housing communities. 
 
He is the author of Still Laughing, Still Learning (Still Looking for a Good Title): Mostly True Stories of Family, Friends, Faith & Foibles.  It was awarded the Silver Medal in the category of Non-fiction Humor by the Midwest Book Awards, and recently was named “Best First Book” by the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.  Copies will be available for sale following the show.
 
A recent comedy booker had this to say about Bill’s performance: “Wow, was last night ever great.  It is so therapeutic to laugh as hard as I did.  It certainly made me feel good.  Thanks much for making the evening so special.”
 
Find out more at Bill’s website: billchadwick.com

Join us for our annual Gift-making Workshop when kids (of all ages) will make Christmas gifts, rather than buy them.

Join us for a beautiful fall morning of creation care as we continue our restoration efforts on our grounds. We continue to remove invasive plants and tend the new native plantings from earlier in the season. Caribou coffee provided.

Join us for a beautiful fall morning of creation care as we continue our restoration efforts on our grounds. We continue to remove invasive plants and tend the new native plantings from earlier in the season. Caribou coffee provided.

Join us at St. Luke for a multigenerational “Trunk or Treat” celebration and simple soup potluck on Sunday, October 30 immediately followship worship (about 11:45 am).  Decorate your vehicle and park in the lower parking lot to help pass out treats to little ones. Make a soup in advance and bring it in a crockpot to share.  Or simply come as you are and linger in the joy of community.  Questions?  Contact the office, Brennan or Nora.  

Join us for a beautiful fall morning of creation care as we continue our restoration efforts on our grounds. We continue to remove invasive plants and tend the new native plantings from earlier in the season. Caribou coffee provided.

Join us for a beautiful fall morning of creation care as we continue our restoration efforts on our grounds. We continue to remove invasive plants and tend the new native plantings from earlier in the season.

The Division of Indian Work (DIW) celebrates 70 years of proudly serving our Twin Cities American Indian community as an American Indian-led organization with its annual LEAP! fundraiser. LEAP! Into Action returns for its 7th year as an in-person event, taking place on Mon, Sept 26 at the Metropolitan Event Center in Golden Valley.

DIW Director Louise Matson invites St. Lukers to join her and others for this wonderful fundraising event featuring great good, Native American entertainers, and an auction of local goods. If people want to donate items to the silent auction they still have time.

Tickets are $70 and may be purchased online at www.diw-mn.org/leap or through Lori Cocking, please connect with her at loricockinghr@gmail.com or via phone 612.670.3030. (If you purchase online, please let Lori know so she can assure St. Luke folks get tables together). Ticket prices are elevated this year due to increased costs – if you need assistance with the cost of a ticket, simply let Lori and Brennan know. While this is a fundraising effort, it’s also a relation celebration for us and we’d like to support folks attending.

Join us this third Wednesday of the month from 9:00 to 11:00 am as we continue to recreate healthy and diverse habitat on the St. Luke grounds. Bring gloves, shovels, weeders, buckthorn pullers, or your favorite tool to wield. Coffee will be provided.

Join us this first Saturday of the month from 9:00 to 11:00 am as we continue to recreate healthy and diverse habitat on the St. Luke grounds. Bring gloves, shovels, weeders, buckthorn pullers, or your favorite tool to wield. Coffee will be provided.

Join us this third Wednesday of the month from 9:00 to 11:00 am as we continue to recreate healthy and diverse habitat on the St. Luke grounds.  Bring gloves, shovels, weeders, buckthorn pullers, or your favorite tool to wield.  Coffee will be provided.

Join us this first Saturday of the month from 9:00 to 11:00 am as we continue to recreate healthy and diverse habitat on the St. Luke grounds.  Bring gloves, shovels, weeders, buckthorn pullers, or your favorite tool to wield.  Coffee will be provided.

Join us this third Wednesday of the month from 9:00 to 11:00 am as we continue to recreate healthy and diverse habitat on the St. Luke grounds.  Bring gloves, shovels, weeders, buckthorn pullers, or your favorite tool to wield.  Coffee will be provided.

Join us this first Saturday of the month from 9:00 to 11:00 am as we continue to recreate healthy and diverse habitat on the St. Luke grounds.  Bring gloves, shovels, weeders, buckthorn pullers, or your favorite tool to wield.  Coffee will be provided.

Presented by The Division of Indian Work and
St. Luke Presbyterian Church

Diane Wilson is the Minnesota Book Award winner for her book, The Seed Keeper.  She will be sharing an in-person review of her book at St Luke Presbyterian Church, 3121 June 26 at 2:00 pm.  Friends, family, and members of the public are welcome to attend. Masks are required for this indoor event.  Livestream broadcast available for viewing at www.stluke.mn.

Spanning several generations, The Seed Keeper follows a Dakhóta family’s struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most.  After winning the 2021 Book Award, Diane was asked what she hopes people will take away from her book:  “I hope the story moves readers to reflect on their own relationship to seeds, plants and nature in general, as well as gain a deeper understanding of how that relationship has been impacted by industrial agriculture.  Most of all, I hope readers understand and connect to an indigenous world view that regards all beings as relatives, rather than as commodities to be exploited.”

Other books by Diane Wilson include Spirit Car: Journey to a Dakota Past and Beloved Child: A Dakota Way of Life.  Her essays have been featured in many publications, including We Are Meant to Rise; Kinship: Belonging in a World of Relations; and A Good Time for the Truth.

Diane Wilson is a Mdewakanton descendent, enrolled on the Rosebud Reservation.

Join us this third Wednesday of the month from 9:00 to 11:00 am as we continue to recreate healthy and diverse habitat on the St. Luke grounds.  Bring gloves, shovels, weeders, buckthorn pullers, or your favorite tool to wield.  Coffee will be provided.

ST LUKE HAS GONE FOSSIL FREE IN OUR INVESTMENTS – YOU CAN TOO! – Learn how on Sunday, June 12th , Adult Education Hour 9:15-10:15.

Following their resolution to be Carbon Neutral by 2040, The Session of St. Luke approved a recommendation from a Session Task Force on Divestment to divest from fossil fuel funds in St. Luke’s endowment holdings and reinvest in fossil fuel-free holdings. This was completed in consultation with Presbyterian Foundation and New Covenant Trust Funds. 

Curious about what this looks like at the personal finance level? Join a special Adult Ed session featuring Buff Grace, Director of Faith Networks at MN Interfaith Power and Light, presenting on the what/why/how/where details of fossil fuel divestment. Buff will be providing many resources to help individuals and families make important value-driven decisions in the area of personal finance.   

This Adult Ed session will be present live in the East Room and remotely via Zoom.

A big day at St. Luke! We’ll be planting several hundred plants and plant starts throughout the site, including trees and shrubs. Gardens spades, gloves and shovels will be helpful. All ages and stages are welcome.

Caring for God’s Creation:  What do birds, wildflowers, trees and other living things tell us about climate change?

Jim Gilbert is a retired naturalist and teacher from Hopkins Schools and Gustavus Adolphus College.  For 42 years he was heard doing Nature Notes on WCCO Radio.  He is the author of four books on nature in Minnesota and continues to write for the Star Tribune.  Jim and his network of observers across Minnesota keep track of phenology events (nature’s happenings) throughout the year, and he has provided phenology information for the Minnesota Weatherguides since 1977.  Sandy and Jim live on the shore of Lake Waconia; they have three grown sons and are busy grandparents.

This event will take place at 9:15 in the Sanctuary and will livestream from our website: www.stluke.mn

Our big “spring cleaning” event will focus on pruning the St. Luke rain gardens and preparing our wider wooded area for seeding/planting in early June. Some food garden prep and invasive species removal work will take place, as well. Loppers, shears, rakes, and gloves will be helpful. All ages and stages are welcome.

Volunteers will be at church Saturday from 11:30-1:30 to take your donations of supplies for our partner, the Division of Indian Works. You can also drop items off on Sunday mornings in the Garden Court or during the week. Another option is to write a check with DIW in the memo line. Thank you for your participation!

Items Needed

Diapers size 3 to 7; pull-ups/training diapers
Baby Wipes
Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Shampoo and Conditioner (full size bottles)
Lotion
Laundry Detergent
Fabuloso All Purpose Cleaner (purple bottle)
Masks (paper)
Toothpaste

On the lower parking lot.

Halloween is on a Sunday this year and it's also the week our Little OWLs complete the 1st-3rd grade program!  To celebrate we're inviting kids of all ages to dress in costume and join us after worship for a Trunk or Treat event!

Are you interested in decorating the trunk of your car and handing out treats to kids? Come help us celebrate the season and add some joy to our children's and grandchildren's lives after a bummer of a Halloween last year.

Contact nora@stluke.mn for more details.

On Thursday, October 28, 6:30-8:30 pm, ISAIAH will host a public forum via Zoom on Climate Justice, with a primary focus on transportation and its intersections with racial justice, equity, and affordable housing. We'll be joined by County Commissioner Chris LaTondresse and Representative Youakim (who sits on the Transportation committee in the MN House). Brennan Blue will providing a centering mediation at the top of the gathering. Sign up here for the Hennepin County 6 Forum on October 28!  

We’ll once again gather much-needed family hygiene supplies for The Division of Indian Work’s food shelf in Minneapolis for the months of Oct, Nov and Dec. This year, we’ll offer daytime drop-off during church office hours (8:30 am - 4:00 pm, Mon – Thurs) in addition to Saturday collection events on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Lists of items needed each month will be in St. Luke’s regular communications.

St. Luke will offer a “Blessing of the Animals” service outdoors on the green slope between our parking lots. Bring your pets or a pet keepsake for this service of blessing and gratitude – an easy event to invite a friend or neighbor to join!