Pastoral and Worship Ministries

This dedicated group organizes our receptions and covered dish meals for some of our major parish events. Anyone is welcome to join in on the fun of preparing these for special events.

The Welcoming Committee at St. Luke’s seeks to greet and welcome all guests and visitors to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. We also provide welcome materials and information to those who are new to St. Luke’s. The committee hosts two luncheons each year for newcomers to get to know clergy and leaders of key ministries.

Several St. Luke’s parishioners are licensed by the Bishop to take communion from the previously consecrated reserve sacrament to those who are unable to attend Sunday services.

The Healing Ministry team is a group of parishioners who faithfully offer prayers for health in body, mind, and spirit, in the small side chapel behind the pulpit during the distribution of communion. They are also available to offer personal prayers throughout the week.

We share our faith by creating Chrismons* which are symbols of the life and ministry of Jesus. As we gather in the workshop we support one another in our life in Christ.

* Chrismons (CHRISt MONgram) are symbols that proclaim the Name, the Life,and the saving Acts of Jesus Christ. These visual symbols help us to grow in our faith and follow Jesus. All our Chrismons are made by hand, in combinations of white and gold. White refers to our Lord’s purity and perfection; gold for His majesty and glory. Chrismons are now displayed at both Easter and Advent/Christmas.

Do you knit or crochet? Do you want to learn? Do you have yarn that you
would like to donate? St. Luke’s Needlework Ministry could use your help. We
make chemo caps for the Duke Blood Cancer Center, hats and scarves for the
people served by Urban Ministries of Durham, and prayer shawls for people who
are ill, recovering from an illness, or grieving the loss of a loved one. We do
our knitting at home and meet once a month in the Kramer Room to
knit/crochet and enjoy each other’s company. However, it is not necessary to
attend the meetings to participate. If you are interested, please contact the
Parish Coordinator for more information.

Acolytes assist in the worship service by carrying the cross and torches in procession, and by serving at the preparation of the altar for the Eucharist.

The Altar Guild is a large group of parishioners who serve on rotating teams to prepare the altar for celebrations of the Eucharist.  Among other things, work includes the changing of seasonal hangings, maintaining supplies used in worship, and cleaning up after the service.

Welcoming a new member into Christ’s church is always a joyous occasion. To celebrate the occasion, each person baptised at St. Luke’s receives a banner created just for them by a talented crafter in the congregation. Newly baptised members process around the Worship Space behind their banners as we welcome them to the household of God. They then return with their banners when we celebrate All Saints Day, to remind us of everyone we’ve welcomed in the past.

Ushers hand out Sunday bulletins and assist parishioners in finding seats. Greeters welcome newcomers and regular parishioners alike. Both ushers and greeters answer questions, and provide directions and information. The verger for each service confirms that scheduled lay participants are present and acts as a “stage manager”, allowing the clergy and lay participants to focus on the service itself.

The Wedding Committee provides guidance to couples seeking to hold their wedding at St. Luke’s. The mission of St. Luke’s Wedding Committee is to help couples coordinate the details of their wedding day within the tenets of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church while supporting their dreams for a perfect beginning to their marriage.  The Chairperson of the wedding committee meets with one or both members of the couple to plan the areas of the Church they will use, to determine the altar covers, vestments and accoutrements, and to review guidelines regarding photography, floral arrangements, decorations and other considerations of their ceremony. The Wedding Committee coordinates the timing of the ceremony and the setup for Eucharist and other wedding accoutrements with the Altar Guild. The Committee provides direction during the rehearsal, and during the ceremony cues the wedding procession and signals the organist for music changes. The Committee also ensures that the ceremony is not disrupted by late arrivals and attends to last minute details as necessary to make each wedding as worry-free as possible.