God’s Good Creation

Dear church,
We hold some of our confirmands, Gerry, and Vicar Hannah in prayer as they head to LOMC for retreat, a time to deepen relationships and enjoy God’s good creation together.

On Sunday, we’ll celebrate another part of that good creation with our St. Francis Day Pet Blessing, giving thanks for the animals who bring joy, companionship, and love into our lives.

And during Lifelong Learning, I hope you’ll join Julie Rooney and Tonya Halfpenny for an important conversation about youth mental health, a timely opportunity to learn together and consider how we can better support the children and teens in our families and community.

See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle

Part of Something Larger

Dear church,
This weekend brings two meaningful opportunities to engage with the wider church and the work we share together.

On Saturday at 3:00 p.m., the Rev. Erik Christensen will be installed as Bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod. I have the honor of serving as Director of Liturgy for the installation service, helping to shape the celebration.
Then on Sunday, we are delighted to welcome the Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin to St. Luke’s. President Erwin serves as president of United Lutheran Seminary and previously served as Bishop of the Southwest California Synod. He will preach at both worship services and lead our Lifelong Learning forum.

You are Enough

Dear church,

There are so many voices willing to tell us we are not enough. Not successful enough or faithful enough or productive enough. And sometimes the loudest voice is our own.

My best friend recently preached a line that has stayed with me: Baptism is death to the lie that you are not enough.

In baptism, we are joined to Christ’s death and resurrection. And among the things drowned in those waters is the idea that we must prove our worth before God, one another, or ourselves.

Baptism does not mean we have nothing left to learn or change. It means our belonging does not depend on our performance.

God has already claimed you. You are marked with the cross of Christ forever.

And perhaps part of living as baptized people is letting that promise drown the voices that insist otherwise.

I hope you’ll plan to join us on Sunday as we dedicate our new baptismal font and re-center ourselves around these promises.

See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle

Baptism

Dear church,

Baptism is the center of our faith. It is our welcome and immersion in grace, forgiveness, and life. We are excited to share that St. Luke’s will soon be receiving a new baptismal font that has been commissioned specifically for our space. Our current font has served this congregation faithfully for generations. The new font is being designed with that same kind of horizon in mind, a font for the next 100 years of baptisms at St. Luke’s. It will honor the beauty and character of our sanctuary while also allowing us to practice baptism with fuller immersion of infants in the baptismal waters.

Masks of God

Dear church,

This Sunday, we are celebrating a Backpack* Blessing, and the asterisk is intentional.

For many of our children and young people, the backpack marks the beginning of a new school year, filled with books and folders, lunches and Chromebooks, and all the hopes and anxieties that come with heading back to the classroom. So we will bless those backpacks, and especially the students who carry them.

But the blessing does not stop there.

Welcome Vicar Hannah

Dear church,

We are delighted to welcome Vicar Hannah as they begins their year of internship ministry among us. We look forward to a year of learning, growing, serving, and sharing in the excitement of ministry together.

We also offer a heartfelt thank you to Ethan, who has provided such steady, creative, and beautiful musical leadership through this season of transition. His gifts have helped carry our worship with grace and joy, and we are deeply grateful for all he has shared with us!

As one season gives way to another, we give thanks for the people God sends to walk with us along the way. I hope we can step into what’s next with gratitude for what has been, openness to what is emerging, and trust that the Spirit is still leading us forward together.

See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle

Church Staffing

I hope you have had a chance to read the recent message about the reorganization of our church staffing and ministry priorities. If not, I encourage you to take a few moments to do so.

These recommendations grew out of prayerful reflection and a deep hope for the future of St. Luke’s. We are excited to build on the momentum of recent years, deepen our life of faith together, and create a staffing structure that supports both vibrant ministry and long-term sustainability.

Meeting Change

Dear church,

August is arriving with an abundance of activity at St. Luke’s. We are welcoming new staff, beginning new ministries, preparing for a full program year, and feeling a wonderful sense of excitement and momentum. At the same time, even good change can bring some uncertainty. When much is happening at once, we may wonder how everything will come together or where we will find our place.

An Unexpected Gift

Dear church,

I am delighted to share an unexpected and exciting development in the life of our congregation. Beginning August 12, 2026, St. Luke’s will welcome Hannah Peterson as a full-time pastoral intern. She will serve and learn among us through August 8, 2027.

This opportunity came to us quite suddenly. When the Rev. Erik Christensen was elected bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod in June, one of the first questions that came to his mind was what his transition would mean for Hannah’s internship. Trinity Lutheran Church in Evanston, where Bishop-elect Christensen has served as pastor, had been preparing to host Hannah during the coming year. With his election, a new internship setting needed to be found.

Accompaniment

Dear church,

The ELCA describes its approach to global mission with one important word: accompaniment.

To accompany someone is to walk beside them, not arriving with all the answers, but listening, learning and sharing the gifts God has given each of us. It recognizes that mission is not something we do for others. It is something God calls us to do together, trusting that everyone has wisdom to offer and that everyone may be changed along the way.

This Sunday we welcome ELCA missionary Pastor Sandy Jones. In addition to preaching, she will give a short presentation after worship about her work in Costa Rica. I hope you will join us as we listen to her experiences and learn more about the relationships through which God’s mission is unfolding.

See you in worship,
Pastor Kyle