Parish Life
St. Luke's lives into its Vision - offering glimpses of the sacred to
those who have faith
and to those who do not through
inspiring ministry, learning, celebration
and community service.
Scroll down this page to learn about:
Christian Formation
The Inter-faith Food Pantry
International Missionary Work
Ending Gun Violence
and other ministries
christian Formation
St. Luke's is known for its annual Sunday Lenten Speaker Series now in its eighth year. Each year renowned experts, theologians, professors, journalists, doctors, judges, law enforcement officers (to name a few) are invited to share their experience and wisdom on a relevant subject. This past Lent did not disappoint.
Lent 1 - How Evangelicals Elected Donald Trump President—Hypocrisy, Halleluiah or Both?
The Reverend Dr. James L. McDonald, Forum Speaker & Preacher
President and Professor of Faith and Public Life
San Francisco Theological Seminary (Presbyterian)
Lent 2 – "On Being Muslim in President Trump’s America"
Ms. Ameena Jandali, Islamic Networks Group
Lent 3 – "Embracing the Gift of Discernment in Anxious Times"
The Reverend Kevin O’Brien, S.J.
Dean and University Professor
Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University
Lent 4 – "Now We are Going Up to Jerusalem"
The Reverend Canon Mark Stanger
Canon for Formation, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco
Lent 5 – "Miracle Messages: Because Everyone is Someone’s Somebody"
Mr. Kevin F. Adler, Founder and CEO, Miracle Messages
Lent 6 – "When you study others carefully you reduce heat and extend light"
Ms. Arlie Russell Hochschild
Professor Emerita of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley
Movie Theology or Theater Theology are also interesting outings the church takes together and then discusses over coffee on Sunday mornings. This past winter we saw the play The Christians at the San Francisco Playhouse Theater.
In the fall of 2016 St. Luke’s hosted Christian speaker/author Brian McLaren and his “Spiritual Migration” book tour and signing. In past years we’ve hosted the Celtic theologian John Philip Newell, Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking) and Neurosurgeon Eben Alexander (Proof of Heaven).
Let’s Talk Current Events
Some Program History.....
Each program year a different series is offered. In the fall of 2015 it was Race, Gender and Gun Violence. Billy Curtis, Executive Director of the Multicultural Sexuality and Gender Center at Cal-Berkeley led two forums on racism and gender identity. His talked was followed by the screening of Traces of the Trade, the story of the DeWolfe family in Rhode Island, a prominent family of businessmen, academic, and church leaders who were deeply involved in the slave trade.
That fall the rector hosted a panel discussion and reception entitled, "The Moral Imperative to End Gun Violence” with city law enforcement, politicians and anti-gun violence advocates.
serving our neighborhood, city and beyond.
Outreach initiatives:
The Inter-faith Food Pantry @ Old First Church
Join fellow St. Luke's parishioners in a morning of serving the neighborhood by volunteering at our Inter-faith Food Pantry. Over 300 people are given as many groceries as they can carry in a in a cooperative effort between the San Francisco Food Bank and local churches. Old First Presbyterian and St. Luke’s banded together as good neighbors to start the food pantry in 2010.
The next Inter-faith Food Pantry event is Saturday, August 19
Old First is located at the corner of Van Ness @ Sacramento. If you can join the cheerful crew in the morning at 7:30, or if you want to know more, please contact Tom Hensley at: thomas.hensley@yahoo.com -or- Birgit Jacobsen at: birgit@stlukessf.org.
International Missionary Work
Mission Trip to Guatemala, July 2016
Ending Gun Violence
Our Moral Imperative to
End Gun Violence
St. Luke’s has been a beacon to those impacted by gun violence. The sanctuary was full when we hosted a candle-lit prayer service near the anniversary of the Sandy Hook killings last December with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi as our guest speaker. We also we marched across the Golden Gate Bridge last summer to protest with Moms Demand Action to End Gun Violence.
A sampling of other ministries:
FAMILY & FUN:
