Dear St. Luke’s Family,
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now… (Philippians 1:3-5)
St. Paul thanks God for the faithfulness of the church at Philippi, and I thank God for the faithfulness of the church at St. Luke’s! I am always amazed at what God does when faithful people allow themselves to be God’s instruments. Last year was no exception. God was faithful and generous with the people of St. Luke’s, and the people of St. Luke’s were faithful and generous with what God provided for them.
After Covid challenges of 2020–2021, it was so exciting to see St. Luke’s ministries return to growth, as we fulfill our mission to equip the family of God to live and love like Jesus. More and more families found community and spiritual formation in our Children’s and Student Ministries. Our in person Bible studies and classes grew, while our online Bible studies and opportunities still attracted new people. Similarly, worship attendance onsite has grown throughout the year, even as we expanded our footprint in online worship, with folks from around the country and the world joining us every Sunday. Our choirs and Music and Fine Arts Ministries blessed all of us and changed the lives of the participants. We really stepped up our Hospitality Ministry, welcoming guests each week who want to be a part of God’s amazing community. We launched our new modern worship community, branches, reaching out to folks seeking a less traditional experience of church. The Outreach Ministry continued to work through our wonderful partners, as we supported so many vital programs that change lives in our city. On our Gethsemane Campus, we began an after-school program, as well as SpeakUp Gulfton, a new English as a second language program. And of course, we saw the groundbreaking for the new community center, a dream that has been considered for over a decade.
All of this is because of the faithfulness of God’s people who joined in a “partnership in the gospel” to grow God’s kingdom. Thank you so much! And here is what is even more exciting: Paul finishes his expression of gratitude with this, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus…” I know God will continue to use us in the days ahead until God brings about a realization of our vision—a city transformed by the love of Jesus.
2022 Houston Project recipient FAM Houston
Houston Project invested $100,000 in seven area non-profit organizations.
Learn more about all 2022 Houston Project grant recipients.
SpeakUp Gulfton was the recipient of the 2022 Christmas Offering, which raised $113,000+ to fund English as a Second Language classes for 60 students for two years!
Compassion is more than a feeling. Our clergy are available to talk and pray with you when you are experiencing grief, a difficult family situation, an illness, or when you are struggling with any other challenging life event. In addition to our pastors, St. Luke’s partners with Nick Finnegan Counseling Center, which is open to the community, staffed with licensed therapists, and accepts most health insurance. In 2022, NFCC counseled more than 700 clients.
St. Luke’s Westheimer and Gethsemane Campuses
Thanks to the generosity of our members and great stewardship of resources, St. Luke's ended the year favorable to budget.
Operating Revenue
Operating Expenses
Church Wide Contributions
The St. Luke's Church Council provides oversight and guidance regarding the planning and implementation of programs/activities for nurture, outreach, witness and resources of St. Luke's. Annually, it evaluates the mission and vision of St. Luke's. The Chair of the Council presides over meetings in partnership with our Senior Pastor. The Council meets at least quarterly and as scheduled by the Chair.
The new Community Youth Center at our Gethsemane Campus is under construction!
With 90% of the total building budget raised from hundreds of individual donors, as well as three grants from family foundations and 11 from private foundations, the new Community Youth Center at our Gethsemane campus is under construction! The Mabee Foundation (Midland, TX) grant is a challenge – that is, to access its $2 million grant, all the remaining 10%, about $2.3 million, must be raised first. The challenge grant deadline is mid-July 2023!
