By Jessica Lin
The Parish of St. Luke the Evangelist – Broughdale decided in 2018 to become a Worshipping Community and focus on its main outreach ministry to university students. On January 1, 2019, they officially became St. Luke’s Worshipping Community and Luke’s Place London, a unique ministry of the Diocese of Huron – a courageous leap of faith for a small parish church to take.
In the year that followed, Luke’s Place London began to grow – with successful programs that supported and encouraged university students to flourish as the people God created them to be. Among those programmes are a weekly Coffeehouse to relax with friends; Study Hall which provides a quiet space to prepare for exams and finish up end of term work; Soup and Soulfood to explore the basics of Christianity; Sunnyside Up to prepare for baptism and confirmation; and Luke’s Place Food Pantry to help students make ends meet.
“Luke’s Place is a close-knit group that provides students with many opportunities to branch into different interests, such as taking a further study of the bible, music, leadership roles, and board games.”
Charlotte Toyne, a fourth-year Thanatology student at King’s University College, is active in the life of Luke’s Place because of the programs and atmosphere that Luke’s Place provides. “Luke’s Place is a close-knit group that provides students with many opportunities to branch into different interests, such as taking a further study of the bible, music, leadership roles, and board games.”
Everyone at Luke’s Place participates in the church’s life, and by living out the call to love our neighbors as ourselves. At Luke’s Place, you belong to a community that genuinely cares about each other, which is vital for students who are a long way from home.
“Luke’s Place matters to me because of the familiar and welcoming atmosphere that made such a big difference when I first moved to London,” says Victor Berryman, a third-year History student at Western University. He adds that Luke’s Place also “gives young people an opportunity to engage with the community in a positive way.”
There are many opportunities for students to engage with St Luke’s Worshipping Community, and they are active participants in Sunday worship. Thirty percent of the worshipping community is under 30, and these young adults actively volunteer as readers, greeters, choir members, altar guild members, and Sunday school teachers. The Worshipping Community is the solid foundation that allows the fantastic outreach work at Luke’s Place to continue. For students like Charlotte, that’s important because Luke’s Place is “a Home away from Home.”
We invite you to Make Luke’s Place Your Place!
Photo: Sunnyside Up at Luke’s Place: Back Row: Kay Chim, Cameron Saunders, Matthew Pope, Victor Berryman, and Jonah Murphy. Front Row: Britney Kinyanjui and Charlotte Toyne
Jessica Lin is the Communications Champion at Luke’s Place London.