Thursday, August 27 | 6:00 PM | Sanctuary
Sunday, August 30 | 10:45 and 11:15 am | 11735 Denny Rd., St. Louis, MO 63126
Thursday, September 10 | 5:30 to 8:00 pm | 11735 Denny Rd., St. Louis, MO 63126
He was our longest-serving pastor (43 years!). He started serving St. Lucas at the beginning of its second year and really got things rolling. Samuel A. Kruse (1858 - 1944) was born in Nashville, IL, to immigrants from areas now known as Germany. His father was a German Evangelical pastor who had studied at the educational institution in Marthasville that is now known as Eden Seminary in Webster Groves. After Samuel Kruse’s primary education at a school around Des Peres, MO, he attended Elmhurst College and then followed in his father’s footsteps and studied at Eden Seminary for four years. After his ordination in 1880, he was assigned to pastor a frontier community in southeastern Nebraska. During those two years, he made a trip home to marry Amalia Mueller, the daughter of Rev. Andreas Mueller, the pastor of Carondelet Church in South St. Louis. Rev. Kruse was happy to accept the call to St. Lucas in 1882, and the young couple returned to an area closer to their families.
Every fall at St. Lucas UCC we put our heads together the attempt to Stump the Pastor. All are invited to submit scriptures - the tricky ones, the ones you rarely hear preached in church. One is selected and then Pastor George preaches an off-the-cuff sermon on whatever is drawn. Because we are only able to select one of the many great submissions, this summer Pastor George is preaching through some of the scriptures that were left on the cutting room floor (with time to prepare this time). You can see the schedule for the summer below, and look forward to the return of Stump the Pastor this September. June 7 - Numbers 35:1-13 June 14 - Joshua 1:9 June 21 - Nehemiah 6:15 June 28 - Psalm 30:4-6 July 5 - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 July 12 - Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 July 19 - Song of Solomon 1:1-17 July 26 - Mission Trip Worship August 2 - Isaiah 10:1-19 August 9 - Isaiah 12:2 August 16 - Jeremiah 14:1-6 August 23 - Jeremiah 29:11 August 30 - Micah 6:8 September 6 - Matthew 5:31-32 September 13 - Matthew 6:25-34 September 20 - TBD September 27 - Stump the Pastor Sunday
For our June Mission Moment we welcomed Rev. Brenda Booth, the Executive Director of Isaiah 58 Ministries. She shared some of the many exciting things happening at Isaiah 58, including their recent purchase of a new building. Isaiah 58 is a food pantry and food distribution center, but more importantly, they build community. The staff and volunteers make it a point to know everyone who walks through the doors by name. As the need in our community continues to grow, Isaiah 58 has seen the numbers of people they serve increase as well. They are currently seeing well over 1400 visits to the ministry each month. When pre-packed food bags are distributed on Fridays they are seeing over 90 individuals and families. They have outgrown their current space, but are excited to move to a new building that will allow them to be closer to the people they serve. Your giving to the St. Lucas UCC general fund helps us continue to contribute to Isaiah 58 and their work in the community.
