Ways to Participate

We welcome you to become involved with our ministry at St. Luke's!  There are many directions your involvement might take depending on your interests. You might want to become active with social outreach programs, with groups within the parish, or through participation in the worship service. 

Listings and descriptions of specific groups and programs can be found below. for more information on any of these groups or programs, please call Martha at the church office (262-634-5529). You are welcome to speak directly to the contact person before or after the Sunday morning service.

In the World:

Haiti Partnership

The people of St. Luke’s Church have a rich history of supporting the Diocese of Milwaukee Haiti Project in Jeanette, Haiti. Undesignated offerings on the second Sunday of each month go to Haiti to support the School Lunch Program, the Clean Water Initiative and St. Marc’s health clinic. St. Marc’s School in Jeanette has more than 500 students. 

The Haiti Project first established a partnership with the school 35 years ago and today there is a generation of literate parents in a previously illiterate community. You can help support funding for St. Marc’s School by purchasing Singing Rooster Haitian coffee to drink or give as a gift, by the purchase of Haitian arts and crafts sold several times per year at parish events, or through your donation on the second Sunday of each month. You can change a child’s life and help make a difference in Haiti, one of the world's poorest countries.

Hospitality Center

The Hospitality Center is an outreach ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, hosted inside St. Luke's. The Hospitality Center is a community resource center and meal site that provides service to the homeless and near homeless people of Racine. The Hospitality Center is open to all people without regard to social status, religious, or financial standing. No matter what your reason for stopping in, one thing is guaranteed: you won't leave the same as when you entered. We believe that providing hospitality to those who have nowhere to go may lead us to an encounter with Christ, and that by opening our church doors we increase the chance to allow true holiness to find us. We invite you to drop in and visit!

Racine Vocational Ministries 

St. Luke's provides office space and financial support to this highly successful ministry that offers training for life and work through development of attitudes, habits, and skills that reflect human dignity. 

RVM offers: vocational counseling, job-readiness training, life-skills education job retention support, job-seeker support groups, referral services, and spiritual counseling. RVM credits their success to believing that each client who walks through their doors is an opportunity to welcome and serve Christ.

Saturday Brown Bag Lunch Program

The Saturday Brown Bag Lunch Program (formerly the Saturday Sack Lunch Program) has been operating at St. Luke's since June 2023.  It was originally a ministry of First United Methodist Church for many years, but was suspended in Marcy 2020 due to the pandemic.  Effective January 2024, lunches will be provided twice per month on the second and last Saturdays of each month per the schedule below.  Volunteers from other local churches and non-church groups take turns making and distributing the lunches from the Seventh Street chapel door of St. Luke's to anyone who needs one.

The 2027 lunch schedule:

January 13 and 27; February 10 and 24, March 9 and 30; April 13 and 27; May 11 and 25; June 8 and 29; July 13 and 27; August 10 and 31; September 14 and 28; October 12 and 26; November 9 and 30; December 14 and 28.

Salvation Army Christmas Angels

The people of St. Luke’s have participated in the Salvation Army Angel Tree program for close to 40 years. Local families are referred to the Salvation Army for help providing Christmas gifts. Angel tags are printed for each child or special needs adult in a family and include age, size and desired Christmas gifts. You can help by taking an Angel tag, purchasing a gift and returning it to St. Luke’s by the given deadline. The gifts are then taken to the Salvation Army in Racine for pickup by the Angel families. Help brighten the life of a child this Christmas by participating in the Angel Tree program!

United Thank Offering

The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church. The first United Thank Offering collection was in 1889 and began as part of Missionary efforts of the Women's Auxiliary to the Board of Mission, authorized by General Convention in 1871.

UTO provides a way for men, women and children give daily thanks to God by embracing and deepening a personal daily spiritual discipline of gratitude, noticing good things that happen each day and making an offering for each blessing using a UTO Blue Box. The UTO program culminates each year in the May in-gathering when the offerings are collected. These offerings are used to support innovative missions and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and Provinces.

In the Church:

Brotherhood of St. Andrew

The Brotherhood of St. Andrew was founded in Chicago in 1883. Today it has a worldwide membership of nearly 5,000 Episcopal men dedicated to bringing men and youth to Christ through prayer, study, and service. The chapter at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church supports various church activities and annual scholarships. 

For more information about the National Brotherhood, call 1-502-450-5640.

Garden Angels

We are very proud of the garden at St. Luke’s. It has been a part of the downtown Racine landscape for many years and is done by volunteers. Our gardens have received the Bell Award, as well as recognition from the Racine Community. If anyone is interested in helping, there is planning, planting and weeding to be done. All work is done at the convenience of the volunteers. 

St. Monica's Guild

St. Monica’s Guild has been a fixture at St. Luke’s since 1940. Today as a group of both longtime and newer members we participate in the mission of our parish in a variety of ways. One activity is fund raising bake sales.  Proceeds from the bake sales go to support the church and the Haiti Project. Other activities include making sack lunches for the Brown Bag Lunch Program; selling Haiti coffee to provide financial support to the Haiti Project through educational scholarships for students; helping with funeral arrangements and other functions at the church when needed; and contributing to the needs of the church. 

The Guild operates informally and there are no dues; we meet regularly at the Red Onion downtown for lunch to discuss business and for socialization. New members are very welcome!

On Sunday Morning:

Acolytes

The Acolyte program is open to youth and adults who are trained to assist the clergy and congregation in all areas of the liturgy. An acolyte is someone who aids the deacon and the minister to perform a church service. The ministry of acolytes is a very old tradition in the church. Acolytes have served as ministry helpers at God's altars for 17 centuries. An acolyte may carry the processional cross, carry a candle torch, a flag, or a banner, be the book bearer during the reading of the Gospel, help to prepare the altar for Communion and to clear the altar after Communion, ring the Sanctus bells, and carry incense during the service on high Holy Days. Serving as an acolyte is a rewarding commitment of your time and talent to the Lord's service.

Altar Guild

The Altar Guild prepares all of the things necessary for the celebration of the Eucharist, or any of the other sacraments and offices of the church. Service as a member of the Altar Guild is a truly joyful ministry and the contribution of each person is important. Membership is not limited by gender, race, background or age. Our members work as teams in a scheduled rotation and training is provided. If you enjoy learning about and caring for sacred vessels, the bread, wine, fair linens and frontals used for worship in the Sanctuary, please consider joining us!

Chalice Bearer

Chalice bearers are trained and licensed by the Bishop to assist the clergy with the administration of the chalice at Mass. This ministry is open to adults and older youth.

Children's Christian Education

St. Luke's new Sunday School program for toddlers through Confirmation-age youngsters began October 20, 2019. Each week following the Processional, the children gather for a prayer and a snack that Jesus might have eaten as a boy. We began the program by learning parables from the gospel of St. Luke through play, songs, signing, and praying. We return to worship each week in time to share the Peace and experience the Eucharist. We are always happy to welcome children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and neighbors! leave a message for Leah with questions. Help us fill our classes youngsters who will learn about God's amazing love for them.

Lay Eucharistic Ministries

The Acolyte program is open to youth and adults who are trained to assist the clergy and congregation in all areas of the liturgy. Chalice bearers are trained and licensed by the Bishop to assist the clergy with the administration of the chalice at Mass. This ministry is open to adults and older youth. Lectors are trained to read the Lessons at Mass and lead the Prayers of the People. The ministry of Lector, like that of chalice bearer, is open to adults and older youth. Ushers provide a ministry of hospitality to all who enter our church for worship. Ushers greet people as they arrive, assist with seating, collect and present the offering, direct the Congregation during Holy Communion, say goodbye as people leave the church, and make sure the church is neatly tidy before leaving. Training is provided to adults and older youth interested in participating.

Ushers

Taking a turn as an usher is a great way to meet your fellow parishioners, and the duties are easy:

• Greet parishioners and guests, hand out Sunday bulletins
• Take sacramental offerings to Altar
• Pass the collection plates and take to the Altar.
• Answer questions guests may have about the church
• Invite guests to coffee hour following the service

If you are interested in helping in the usher rotation, please contact Debbie through the Parish Office.