Sharing Our Faith St. Luke's United Methodist Church - St. Luke's United Methodist Church
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Sharing Our Faith
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
3080 Okatie Highway, between the back gates of Sun City on Hwy 170
“Praising and Serving God Thru the Ages”
Volume 15, Issue 3 MARCH 2021
February 17th was Ash
Wednesday and the beginning of Ash Wednesday, “drive-by” Ashes.
the season of Lent. It was strange We had 31 people that received
not to hold an Ash Wednesday ashes. It was a great day! Below is
service to begin this journey through the Lenten season, a prayer that was handed out.
but then COVID-19 has introduced a tremendous amount
of strange things into our lives.
We usually talk about observing Lent through self-
examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, self-denial and
reading/meditating on God’s word. We often talk of
making time during the short weeks of Lent to observe
these things as a way for us to grow closer to God during
this time. This year is a little different (ok, a lot different).
Many of our everyday activities and plans have been
curtailed with life being more focused on life at home. I
would like to encourage each of us to enjoy this time of
the slower pace, using our little extra time to apply the
observances listed above to our own life seeking the very
presence of God in our life.
Some of these are more difficult to apply than others,
but each one is a way to connect with the God that loves
us enough to give His Son on the cross. That connection
will help lift us to a place above worry, fear and dread.
That connection will help fill the void of isolation and
loneliness. That connection will transform lives just as the
resurrection transformed the landscape of the world and
we all can use some transformation these days.
So, as we journey through Lent, I pray each of us
experiences the presence, power, promise and hope of
God in a new and transforming way this year as we
prepare for Easter. Easter is coming and not even COVID-
19 can stop that.
Grace and Peace,
Contact Info for Pastor Brian
Brian
Cell: 803.686.0794
Home: 843.707.7991
Email: bpreveaux@umcsc.org
This time of the year drives me nuts.
It’s bad enough with this COVID mayhem, but where is As I sit and get ready to do my 2020 tax return, I am
the warm weather? Two days in a row with temps in the prompted to consider the things I did right (and wrong).
70s and I start putting away the sweaters and long pants An important thing that any of us can do that have an IRA
and start hunting for my golf shirts. I get all my ducks in a and are over 70 is to make any major charitable
row only to be shot down with a blast of arctic air from contributions directly out of our IRA. Doing so both helps
behind. Happens every year. It’s the anticipation. you fill the RMD (required minimum distribution) and
We do have it a lot better here in the Palmetto state keeps the contribution totally tax free ((no taxes when
than most places, however. I remember as a kid up north you saved it and no taxes when you donate it as a QCD
when at least two times it snowed on Easter Sunday. Yuk! (qualified charitable contribution)). Talk to your
Something about fresh fallen snow on top of your investment advisor or tax person for details. This is a great
mom’s pastel Easter bonnet that seems out of sorts. way to support the Fellowship Hall renovation or the
But time does march on. Before long it’ll be August with Endowment Fund.
sweltering temperatures in the high 90s. Then I guess I’ll Rob Clark,
be longing for the cool days of Autumn and will be rclark55@sc.rr.com
wondering when the heat wave will finally subside. Let’s Finance Committee Chairperson
hope that the COVID epidemic will be long gone by
summer so we will be able to worship inside the sanctuary
with the air conditioner “on”.
The weather this Sunday promises to be temperate. So
it might be nice enough where we won’t have to bring
along those stadium blankets. See you at church!
Blessings, Spring is almost here (forget the ugly, wet February that
Ron Pozsonyi, Lay Leader we just had). I am looking forward to a while of
comfortable outdoor service (hopefully soon) and then
being able to see you all again inside (even if we need
masks). While I miss the idle chatting and handshaking, it
is always great to see everyone there. If you have not been
coming to the outdoor 9:15 Sunday services, please join
us. Bring your lawn chair and sit in our beautiful back lot
The mailing address is: St. Luke’s UMC, under the great oak!
PO Box 2779, Bluffton SC 29910. Rob Clark
Rob Clark, UPCOMING SPECIAL DATES
Finance Committee Chairperson March 14th – Daylight Saving Time
March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day
March 28th – Palm Sunday
April 1st – April Fool’s Day
April 1st – Maundy Thursday
April 2nd –Good Friday
April 4th – Easter Sunday
Fellowship Hall Update
02/092021
St. Luke’s UMC
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your generous
support of our mission and for making a lasting impact on
We’ve had some positive things happen over the last the lives of neighbors who have no place else to turn. Your
couple of weeks. We now have an individual in the county 01/04/2021 donation of food will go a long way to ensure
building organization that is helping guide us through the every neighbor can put food on the table. Thanks to
system of reviews and approvals. supporters like you, we have been able to serve our
The Storm Water Control Board has looked at our plans community for 34 years, being there for our neighbors
and recommended that we add gutters to the building when they need us most.
and funnel the runoff water into a small rain garden. They This past year has reminded us of the power of coming
also want drawings updated to indicate the location of silt together as a community, and the rippling effects of
fences and construction entrance. We should get kindness and generosity. Nearly 2,000 neighbors turned
to Bluffton Self Help for support and relief just last year,
approval from the board as soon as we provide this
40% never having asked for help before. Thanks to your
information to them.
generosity, we did not have to turn any of those neighbors
The Fire Safety Standards application has been
away.
completed and filed with the fire marshal. He has to
Our actions say a lot about who we are as a community.
approve that our design meets the current fire codes.
With you, in 2020, Bluffton Self Help helped 675 families
I’m hopeful, with us having a contact person in the
remain in their homes through COVID-19 Family Relief
county building organization, that things will move more Funds, distributed more than 4,000 gallons of milk and
quickly. 418,954 lbs of healthy food, put food on the table for 460
Jim Seymore new households, and delivered food to seniors and others
Trustee chair who were unable to leave their homes. We have done all
this safely, while constantly shifting our programs in
Memorial Flag Installation Leader: innovative ways to meet the need.
Bluffton Self Help is committed to combating food
The Trustees’ are searching for an insecurity and hunger in our community. We rely on
individual to be responsible for placing and community support to do this through a variety of
removing flags in the cemetery for both programs including our Drive-Thru Wellness Food Pantry
Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day. The flags for Memorial where neighbors can come pick up weekly groceries
Day are placed approximately the middle of May and including fresh produce, meat, dairy and staple food items
remain until just after Independence Day. The flags for such as peanut butter, pasta and sauce. In addition to our
Veterans’ Day are placed on or about November 1st and drive through, we offer a Mobile Food Pantry delivering
remain through the month of November. This individual groceries to our neighbors weekly. Bluffton Self Help has
will be responsible for securing volunteers to place and also partnered with 10 Bluffton area schools, providing
remove the flags and keeping an adequate number of free snacks to teachers for students who face hunger
flags and holders in inventory. We have approximately 80 throughout the day. This is all made possible because of
veterans buried in our cemetery. our community.
This is not a very time-consuming task. It only requires With more than 8,000 lbs of food being distributed
a few hours work twice a year.
every week from our pantry, a gift like yours is incredibly
Contact Jim Seymore if you are willing to assist us with
this position. important and for that, we are greatful.
Jim Seymore
843-368-9722
BELOW IS A LIST OF “MOST NEEDED FOODS” AT THIS
FIRST SUNDAY & THIRD MONDAY
TIME which Bluffton Self Help has asked us to distribute.
FOOD MISSION DRIVE
The First Sunday Food Mission Drive
is under the leadership of Rick Hoel,
Missions Chair. If you have any
questions regarding Missions and the Food Bank in
particular, please contact him at 843.295.9002 or
rickhoel12@gmail.com
Helping to feed the hungry is an important mission of St.
Luke's. As you know we expanded our efforts to include
two drop offs to provide more opportunities for those not
attending Sunday services to participate and for those
who can donate more. In addition to our regular drop off
on the first Sunday of the month, we added a drop off on
the third Monday of the month.
Specifically, for March 2021, please drop off your
contributions in the back-parking lot at the church on
Sunday, March 7th. We will be loading before and after the
service. You can now also drop off at the church on
Monday, March 15th from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. “Social
distancing” will be observed to avoid any risk of virus
transmission. Your contributions
are vital as the community
needs are extreme due to the
You will notice that the list no longer includes the reason
pandemic. Feeding the hungry is
for prayer, due to HIPPA regulations. Please email Amy
truly part of us doing God's
Erickson at amyhousererickson@gmail.com with any
Work!
prayer requests you may have. If you have loved ones who
PLEASE help us with our FIRST SUNDAY and THIRD
have been blessed by recovery, peace or grace and may
MONDAY FOOD MISSION DRIVES for our local food
pantry, Bluffton Self Help. PLEASE help us stock the pantry be removed from the list, please provide that information
with the most desired/requested items. to Amy as well.
These include:
cereal – Cheerios preferred, instant grits/oatmeal, Let us remember with cards, and prayers…
CHURCH MEMBERS
peanut butter, jelly, dried pasta, pasta sauce,
boxed or bagged dinner mixes such as Hamburger Bob Lee and Sherry Lee: 7 Becket Place, Bluffton 29909
Marcia Garner, 3 Devant Lane, Bluffton 29909
Helper, Beefaroni, etc., dried beans, and rice.
Sarah Smith, 111 Spring Meadow Drive, Bluffton 29910
Also needed are recycled shopping bags & diapers (sizes
Angie Harding, 33 Knotweed Court, Bluffton 29909
4, 5 & 6) and toilet paper. Unfortunately, we can’t accept
CHURCH MEMBERS IN NURSING HOMES,
any open, expired or damaged items.
ASSISTED LIVING OR HOMEBOUND
In case of rain and church services are cancelled on
Elnora Ekholm, 173 May River Rd., Bluffton 29910
February 7th, we will be at the church parking lot on
Jane Slayton, NHC 3039 Okatie Hwy. Rm. 331 Okatie
Monday, March 8th from 9:00 – 10:00 AM. Please 29909; Tel: 843-705-1319
remember to show your willingness to be of service by Jane and Jerry Wick, 2 Devant Court, Bluffton 29909
signing up to deliver the food donations for an upcoming June Hamilton, 4 Concession Oak Dr., Bluffton 29909
month.
Thank you.
Rick Hoel, Mission chair
FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF MEMBERS
Roland and Vivian Smith, 297 Landing Lane, Bluffton
29909 March Birthdays March Anniversaries
02 Amy Erickson 29 Marie & John Baldauf
Hannah Nystrom, friend of Marie & John Baldauf
06 John Sariscak
Toddler, Iris Duque, and her family, family of Ouida Dell 08 Ellie Antoine
Hugh and Sue Ross, brother & sister-in-law of Will Ross 14 Joan Nations
Health care workers 15 George Batten
Mary Lou Bryant 31 Janet Jacoby
Deana Deringer, niece of June Dorsey
April Birthdays
Our nation and government
03 Roland Smith NO April Anniversaries
Brooke Hamilton Pittet & family, niece and family of 09 Lynne Clements
Walker and Diana Hamilton 09 Kathy Strife
Sister and brother-in-law of Myree Flannigan 11 Vern Conway
Friend of David Leming 11 Bryan Metzger
Gary, Andrew and 3 daughters, family of Mary Buzzie 14 Wally Willig
Peter Steffen and family 17 Beth Peters
Karen Phillippi and Charlene Cooler, sisters of Ouida Dell 30 Judy Watts
Carol, Lois Finch’s daughter IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF
The Russell Family, friends of the Hamilton’s ST. LUKE’S – Please email Pat Simmons at
st.lukesumc.hwy170@gmail.com for an
PRAISES “Invitation to Membership” form. Fill it out and
David Garbade has recovered. mail it to St. Luke’s UMC, PO Box 2779, Bluffton SC 29910.
Pastor Al Shifflett has recovered. You will then be contacted by Pastor Brian.
“Contact Us” using email. Our
church website, www.stlukesumc-
okatie.org is a valuable tool to
Our deepest sympathy and prayers to Rev. Brian Preveaux attract people, share information and create interest in St.
and family on the passing of Brian’s uncle, Rev. James Luke’s. To enhance capabilities and provide a foundation
Preveaux on February 16, 2021. Cards can be sent to Brian for the future, a collaborative effort is underway that
and Joy at: 271 Landing Lane, Bluffton 29909 changes some website organization, layout, content and
navigation. For example, listen to the “Online Sermons
by Pastor Brian, and Newsletters are available through
the “About Us” area. For more information or assistance
using the website, please contact Dave Disney,
706.372.2178 or disneydw1@gmail.com
Many of you may not know that we are
Sunday mornings posting our “backyard” sermons on
YouTube. Each Sunday, after 1:00 PM (that gives time to
set everything up) you can click on the link below to listen
and watch the sermon. Here is the YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj_gXL78wJ24jkL6
HMBp02g
The link is also on our website under “Quick Links”: This is
the website address: www.stlukesumc-okatie.org
(If clicking on the link doesn’t work for you, copy and paste
it in your browser.)
You can also read
