Love. Renew. Repeat.
The Church. On The Avenue.
We, the people of St. Luke’s Church on The Avenue, are not simply a congregation: We are a community committed to loving God and loving our neighbor. Our hope is to bear witness to God’s radically inclusive love as shown through Jesus Christ and to live as the Church in our corner of the city. We embrace a simple mission: Love. Renew. Repeat.
Love.
Love God & one another.
We seek to know our neighbors and express the love of God that we have received ourselves. We work to follow Jesus’ example by caring for the people of our community, especially those who are outcast and marginalized. We strive to show the unconditional love of Christ, which means choosing to care for others even when it feels difficult or disruptive.
We are committed to cultivating a loving community in which…
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all people are welcomed as they are;
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traditionally marginalized communities including all people of color, LGBTQ+, diversely abled, immigrants, people at any socio-economic status, and people who use drugs, and those in addiction recovery are fully included, affirmed, and encouraged;
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People of all ages are nourished with opportunities for play, education, and worship;
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the ministry flowing from our worship serves the needs of our neighborhood, especially the vulnerable.
Renew.
Through God & through each other.
We are a resurrection people. We know that suffering is a part of life and that trauma, depression, anxiety, and other forces can make us feel far away from God’s love. But God renews us with healing, reconciliation, and justice. Instead of allowing fear to drive us apart, we believe that God’s grace embraces the world and brings us together, leading us to grow in love through the gift of relationship.
We believe renewal of our hearts and our relationships reflects the resurrection of Jesus, and we embrace it by offering multiple ways to worship; offering our space for community groups and activities; and collaborating with local businesses, organizations, and artists in mutual service to one another and our neighbors whether or not they believe what we believe.
Repeat.
For God & for each other.
Relationships are built by repeatedly showing up for one another, and there is always someone new in the neighborhood to love, a new concern to respond to, or an old concern that needs a better response.
God grants us the gift of new days and new seasons. We commit to repetition because the glory of God is found in daily, weekly, and seasonal routines like meals with loved ones, worship with community, and celebrations of the holidays. We also commit to repetition because we who comprise the Church are not perfect. We make mistakes. We fail. We hurt. But by the grace of God and the support of community, we have opportunities to learn, to apologize, and to heal.
Our most important commitment to repetition is in regular practice of Worship - the regular reception of the Word (reading, study, and interpretation of the Bible) and Sacrament (sharing in holy communion, the meal of bread and wine bound to Jesus' presence). God nourishes us with grace through this practice because it provides a consistent reminder of our connectedness to one another and to God.
Rev. Jim Muratore, Pastor
email: ChurchOnTheAvenue@gmail.com
