St. Luke’s offers a three-pronged approach to engaging those who are seeking:
- Biblical Literacy
- Spiritual Growth
- Intellectual Curiosity
We learn and grow in our Christian faith through study and prayer. We invite people to join in any of our offerings with an open heart and mind, engaging in discourse and discussion and bringing questions for consideration and contemplation. It is through story-telling and deep listening that we grow in our faith and can serve the community around us.
Below are a few of the offerings and opportunities available at St. Luke’s. All programs are open to parishioners at St. Luke’s, as well as to the community.
New Offerings
- Quiet Prayer – online contemplative prayer service Tuesdays 5:30pm – 6:15pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Meets September through May.
- Praying & Sharing Together – noonday prayer and intercessions Wednesdays 12 noon in the Fort Sherman Chapel at 332 Hubbard St. in CdA.
Exploring Prayer Together
Starting Oct. 13th after the 10 a.m. service, we will start a monthly session on prayer. We will explore different ways that we can pray, and spend time practicing these prayers. This is a great way to learn about different ways we can pray, and to expand our opportunities for expanding our spiritual practices.
Walking through the Bible – Sessions forming Week of Oct. 6 — Details to come
The Bible is this amazing, complex collection of books that covers thousands of years of human experience of God. In the Episcopal Church, we rely deeply on the Bible. We are immersed in it – every week we read from four places in scripture, and everything in our worship is shaped by and rooted in the Bible. We learn many of the stories. But how many of us have read the Bible and know “the path of God’s love all the way from the beginning to the end, from Adam’s creation to John’s revelation”?
In Walking through the Bible, we will do just that – take a good, long tour through the whole Bible, from beginning to end. We will use a book called The Path, which gives us chunks from different books of the Bible surrounded by helpful summaries and explanations. We will also use videos and discussion tools from Echo the Story, and we will explore parts of the Bible not covered in these two resources.
I look forward to walking with our young people through the Bible, and I hope you learn to discover how this sacred book is an amazing treasure!
Materials:
The Path: A Journey through the Bible, (2016) Echo the Story (SparkHouse, 2014)
Practicing Caring and Courageous Conversations at NIC – Wednesdays (starting with Noonday prayer at the Fort Sherman Chapel, then moving onto campus for conversations).
One of the ways we live our mission to show and share the love of Jesus in North Idaho is through courageous conversations. From time to time, we practice ways to enter conversations with others in ways that show care and courageous vulnerability as we invite people to share about their lives and we share about ours. Our Diocese of Spokane is dedicated this year to learning more about how to do this as a key part of our spiritual lives.
There is a team of folks from St. Luke’s who want to serve the campus and people of NIC. There is no better way right now than to come with me to campus once a week to open up conversations with staff, faculty, and students. We have open invitation to come. I have found incredible welcome and deep gratitude for when I have gone into offices to meet people, just letting them know that I’m from a church that cares deeply about NIC and its people, that wants to be supportive, and that wants to offer safe conversation partners.
If you want to join in this effort, contact Fr. David. We will likely dedicate time on Wednesday afternoons, either beginning or ending with a short prayer service on campus or at the Fort Sherman Chapel.
Book Study group Wednesdays at 1pm (open to anyone). Currently reading Practical Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill. Contact Jill Kalberg to sign up.
Book Study group Wednesday at 4 p.m. (open to anyone). Currently reading A Pilgrimage to Eternity; from Canterbury to Roame in Search of a Faith by Timothy Egan. Contact Lisa Nunlist for more information.
Any of these discussion and exploration groups are great places to invite people to “come and see.” If you know people who are spiritually searching, wrestling, wandering, or even recovering from negative religious experiences, consider inviting them to come with you to participate in one of these groups. Discussions are open-ended and are not in the business of selling “right answers.” The point of these groups is to open stories with each other, learn from each other, and listen together for God speaking through the conversations you have. See opportunities below.
Being With – Coming to NIC in October, Information on times to come
“If all the meaning, beauty and goodness you have found in life so far could help you discover something that holds it all together? If there is a God, wouldn’t God be best discovered with others?
“Being With is about sharing stories about our lives and hearing the stories of others. These stories are the small things that mean a lot to us and they can also be the most challenging and life changing moments of our lives. There’s a space for every person’s life and story.”
This is a wonderful program of open discussion and mutual discovery designed and used in the Church of England. It is a great space for people who are exploring faith, or who have needed to step away from an overly strict faith tradition and are looking for ways to rediscover their faith in fresh ways. Ern Warner & Jeff Wickham, co-facilitators Dave & Lyndi Phifer, soon to be co-facilitators.
Men’s Discussion Group – second Wednesday evening of each month.
With diverse backgrounds and life experiences, the St. Luke’s Men’s Discussion Group explores topics that affect the communities in which we live. Drawing on our experiences and faith, we listen and consider how we can have a positive impact in our community. All of this while we relax with an enjoyable light meal. Ian Hicks & Dave Phifer, “point people”
Listening to God and Our Neighbors: Biblical Windows for Followers and Seekers of Christ
This collection of stories and readings from scripture has been created for us as a guide to help shape how we enter caring and vulnerably courageous conversations with God and with others around us. The collection includes examples of listening and responding to God, being sent, entering confrontations and hard conversations, breaking open new ground with new people, and being changed ourselves by conversations. Each example includes questions for our prayerful reflection as individuals and as a faith community together.
Another Selection of scriptures is Who Is This Jesus? This collection offers numerous reflections to consider who Jesus is to us and in our lives.
Families with Children
Children’ Chapel
St. Luke’s offers a children’s chapel during the 10 a.m. Sunday service for families with children.
These sessions combine Christian education (aka Sunday School) with our Episcopal liturgy in a child-friendly atmosphere. Children (and parents) are invited to chapel right before the scripture readings, and return when we share the Peace of God.
St. Luke’s Youth
Youth who attend our parish are active in service participation and are involved in Diocesan youth activities and summer camps at Camp Cross, the Diocese of Spokane’s retreat/camp ministry on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
