Every year in August we kick off the year in Student Ministries with a special event called Vision Night. This is an evening to hear about the amazing things that God has been doing in students' and families' lives over the past year, and to learn about what is ahead. It is an exciting time in St. Luke's Student Ministry! Last year 450 students participated in a Student Ministry activity. Our students participated in dozens of service projects that impacted tens of thousands of Houstonians. Every week Student Ministry had 21 different small groups. Each year hundreds of [...]

The Belonging is a worship community. We gather every Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Gethsemane Campus of St. Luke's United Methodist Church. The Belonging is a growing community. We don't mean numbers or money or buildings. We mean growing in relationship with God and with one another, all with the love of Jesus. We meet in small groups for prayer, Bible study, food, fun, and life. The Belonging is a family community. We believe there is little difference between church and family, and that goes for every age. We put a lot of effort and prayer into [...]

You can change one child’s life through KIDS HOPE USA! Hubie Fix, a KIDS HOPE mentor at Sutton Elementary School shares his story. “Long story short, you get a friend in KIDS HOPE. My journey with Henry started in the fall of 2015. We hit it off right away because of our mutual interest in sports, video games and learning. Each week we read, practice math flash cards, play board games and soccer or football. In our initial sessions it took some time for us to come out of our shells. We would read one or two books [...]

At St. Luke’s, we make friends. I confess I have not always given this habit the weight it deserves.  I knew friendships were a beautiful outcome of church participation, and I am ever grateful for the friends I have made here – some of whom I have known for nearly 20 years! For some reason, though, “making friends” did not always seem as sacred an endeavor as praying, studying the Bible, and so on. Having fun with friends seemed more frivolous than holy, but I am learning that godly friendships are so much more than just a perk [...]

This week we took 23 high school students and seven adults on a mission trip to Wilmore, Kentucky with an organization called AdventureServe. Our primary project was to repair a roof for Penny, a single mother of four who is trying to put three of her kids through college. The roof leaked so badly that the ceiling caved on the inside. She is possibly one of the sweetest people on earth and has spent hours getting to know us and baking us cookies. We also rotated our students through a series of “mystery trips,” where we partnered with [...]

I remember the day that my dad left. I remember sitting in his lap as he tearfully confessed the words that would be my first-ever heartbreak. I remember thinking that divorce was a thing that happened to other kids–not me. I remember the way he looked as he walked out of my home forever. I remember sleepless nights with me, my sister, and my mom huddled closely together in the same bed the first week of his absence. I remember losing a unique brand of childhood innocence that day. How do I honor this person? When I look [...]

Loving God, you who are the perfect parent, I remember my mother, when I was small, involving me in the speech therapy program she operated in our home, so she could be both mother and professional at the same time. I remember going to the special needs summer camp with her in the summer. I think I can remember her stroking the bridge of my nose between my eyes when I was very little, soothing me to go to sleep. As a teenager, I remember getting up every morning to go to school, finding cooked breakfast on a hot plate [...]

With child-like faith and a natural compassion, VBS goers saw a need, understood how to meet it, and did something. Some even set up lemonade stands to raise money for other kids’ shoes – kids they will never meet. Through their generosity, the kids raised $7,665 that helped purchase 511 pairs of shoes.  While I could fill a BIG book with all the ways I heard, saw and experienced our children, teens and adult leaders growing in God’s super hero powers throughout our VBS week, there was a poignant experience I wish to share. At the end of [...]

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St. Luke’s Gethsemane is nestled in the midst of the Gulfton community that has been selected as one of the Mayor’s “Complete Communities.” This neighborhood, with its first generation immigrants and refugees, is considered to be one of the most diverse in the city of Houston. The Mayor’s "Complete Communities" is a pilot program designed to revitalize under-resourced areas while allowing residents to stay in their neighborhoods. This is exciting news and something that has been needed for a very long time. The initiative will work towards creating “complete” communities: neighborhoods that are safe, affordable, and healthy; have [...]