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St. Andrews Parish United Methodist Church The Reverend Brad Gray, Pastor

3225 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414 843.766.1080 + standumc@gmail.com + www.sapumc.com

Nov.

2015

Pastor’s Postings ............... 1

Ray’s Reflections ……………..2

Announcements ................ 3

Birthdays/Anniversaries .... 4

Calendar ............................ 5

S U N DA Y

S E R V I C Es :

8:45 am Worship Service

10:00 am Sunday School

11:15 am Worship Service

OFFICE HOURS :

Monday 8:00-5:00

Tuesday-Friday 8:00-2:00

Pastor’s Postings

+ God Gathers Us + To Worship Together + To Care for One Another + To Become God's Love for the World +

Please give address updates to the church office. If you would like your address

removed from the mailing list, please let us know by

phone, email, or return mail. Thank you.

So for the last few months, my family has been reading CS Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia each night. We are

about to begin the final book of the seven book series. It has

been really fun and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to read to take

the time and give them a try. As I have gone along, I've been highlighting

sections for reflection. While reading The Silver Chair (book 4 based on the publication dates), I came

across the paragraph below. One of the

heroes (there is one heroine), Puddleglum,

confronts the evil witch and offers a counter to

her argument that Narnia is a 'dream-world'.

“One word, Ma’am...One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who

always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s

one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or

made up, all those things—trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the

made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a

pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it.

We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a

game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-

world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if

there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are

ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as

dull a place as you say." This takes me back a few years.

During a Bible study, an incredibly wise old man, faithful all his life,

offered similar wisdom to the class. He was commenting on the idea that faith and religion was all just made up or

fictional. He said, "Listen, what if it is? Who cares? I've believed all my life

and it has made me a better person. If I get to the end, I will know that because

I was better, so the world was better, and that is all right by me." Friends, we complicate things tremendously. It's all pretty simple in reality. Try hard to be the person you feel like God wants you

to be and the kind of person Jesus hoped his followers would be, and the

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rest will take care of itself. In the end, we love, and that makes any

world we live in a better one. Everyone should acknowledge that

our world could use a little more love. As we begin to move toward the holidays of

Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, may we live our lives in such a way that no one could ever doubt that we follow a risen Savior who began as a

baby born in Bethlehem. And that makes the world a better place.

See you soon!

Blessings and Peace,

Pastor Brad

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We have two email chains at St. Andrews —one for Prayer Requests and the other for announcements, etc., called Life Line. If you’d like to join, just send

an email to standumc@gmail.com.

Ray’s reflections

"How clearly the sky reveals God's glory ! How plainly it shows what he has done." Psalm 19:1

Recently I was relaxing in some hot springs at the base of a volcano in the rainforest of Costa Rica, watching the waterfalls and listening to the raindrops as they gently splashed against the hot springs. It was absolutely magnificent.

My first thought was how could ANYONE

question the power and majesty of God . GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL HE DOES !

Ray LeTellier, Co-Lay Leader

Pumpkin Patch Report The Pumpkin Patch was a great

success! We raised quite a bit for missions. Thank you to all who gave of their

time to work in the Patch! If you noticed some things didn’t work, please let us know. We are always looking for ways to improve.

Don’t forget to tell us what we did right, too!

THUMBS UP EXERCISE GROUP

Meets every Thursday at

Mark your calendar!

Services will be held at 6pm & 8pm

Pastor Brad’s Bible study will begin Tuesday, Dec. 1st at 7pm. Come

join us as we dive into God’s Word.

Christmas Decorating

Party

Sunday Nov. 29th 4pm

SAP Christmas

Concert

Sunday, Dec. 13th 6pm

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Joy Circle - November 10 @ 10am Genesis Circle - November 12 @ 7pm

For more information contact

Miriam Hunter 556-1651 or Cindy Walden 763-3996

The UMM meet the 2nd Thursday of each month

at 7:00 and a meal is provided at 6:30.

This month’s meeting: Thurs., Nov. 12th

Sing Along Schedule Nov. 3rd Palmetto Assisted Living

Nov 17th Ashley Park Nov. 24th National Healthcare

Meets every Thursday @ 10:30am.

November 7th Tickets are on sale now for $5 in the church office. The money raised will

benefit the Charleston Wesley Foundation.

UMW Call to Prayer & Self Denial Saturday, November 14th

Come join us as we take time away from our busy schedules to pray and reflect. We’ll

begin at 10:30am with a luncheon to follow. The cost for lunch will be $5.

“...serve one another with whatever gift each of you has

received.” 1 Peter 4:10

UMW Annual

Christmas Brunch

Saturday, December 5 @9:30am Town and Country + Cost $20

Reservations and payments must be made by Sunday, Nov. 29th

Joint Sunday School

Experience for Advent

Nov. 29th - Dec. 20th

Each Sunday at 10AM Sign up on the bulletin board or

in your Sunday school class to

order the book

“Sent: Delivering the Gift of

Hope at Christmas”

by Jorge Acevedo

Thank you for your help and participation in Trunk or Treat! We raised $141.50 from donations and votes cast for our

decorating contest. Many thanks to Ladles and 3 Matadors for donating the prizes.

First Place: Mikayla and Trey Weatherford (Trey is already planning for next year!)

Second Place: Lisa Follin and Deb Carson Third Place: JoAnn Pachulski

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BIRTHDAYS:

Emily Grunstra 11/1

Dale Hartis 11/2

David Coisson 11/3

Charles Leeper 11/3

Adam Bauer 11/4

Elias McCall 11/4

Jack DeAntonio 11/5

Denni Grunstra 11/5

Bessie Wilson 11/7

Debra Yadon 11/9

Ilene Seabrook 11/12

Richard DeCoursey 11/13

April Johnson 11/15

Lacy Johnson 11/15

Margot Kopp 11/15

Jeff Treadway 11/15

John Bledsoe 11/16

Gage Green 11/16

Garrett Green 11/16

Alex Britt 11/17

Garrett High 11/17

Becky Stacey 11/17

Jody Green 11/18

Mary Anne Coyle 11/19

Hope Treadway 11/20

Marlana Burns 11/21

Don Franklin 11/26

Derek Runnerstrom 11/26

Clayton Goodman 11/27

ANNIVERSARIES:

7 Daniel & Janet Amos

9 John & Angie Saunders

15 Brian & Martha Pokrant

17 Rick & Brenda Arivette

19 Danny & Marion Davis

21 Bill & Sally Johnson

24 Bill & Korrine Guenther

25 Don & Libby Franklin

28 Dale & Mary Lou Hartis

Focus on Youth Cindy Curtis

“Lessons from the Ropes Course”

I wanted the youth to experience the ropes course as a way to build relationships. We see each other for an hour or two each Sunday and that is not enough time to get to know each other. I am also getting to know them. I learned a lot about them at the course. I gave myself the job of official photographer so I could watch and learn. To be honest, I am afraid of heights! I dressed to do the course, but felt led to be a watcher this time. Ok, maybe I chickened out a little, but the lessons I learned are quite

impressive. I saw ideas generated and shared by some of the youngest members of the group. I

saw some youth playing, talking and enjoying the event instead of listening to directions which caused the whole group consequences. I saw the courage it takes to let go of a cable and swing across a series of boards on a very high course. I also saw the compassion of a worker who helped a very brave youth to not give up. I learned that the parents of the youth can be counted on to be on time, provide food, drinks, snacks and pick up their youth on time. Even more, they are parents not only of their own children

but to all the youth and their friends who came. I was amazed at one activity where they had to walk across an imaginary water way on stone pebbles. They were told to keep some part of their body on the pebble at all times. Some people missed the directions so all of them were told they could not talk. Of the 22 youth there, 15 or so made it across the water on the stones successfully. That left about 7 stuck. They talked or let the pebble get away from them. They had nothing left to use to cross the water. I wondered what they would do? Gloat? Celebrate their success? High five each other? Instead, one of the youth on the safe side motioned to the others to form a chain with their stones. They went back across the water and got the ones who were stranded. They shared their stone to guide them all to safety. We have amazing youth and parents. .

The Youth service project for October was a huge success. They collected Halloween costumes, treats and decorations for the One80 Homeless Shelter. This was to support Christine Freeman's Nanny Group in providing homeless children with a chance to dress up and have some fun. Christine reported that they

served over 100 children from Charleston and Hilton Head. Our group gave the most donations, and the children were overjoyed. In November, we plan to provide services for our church and community following a

Salkehatchie Boot Camp Training at our meetings. Due to the recent rain events, we have not been able to work out all the details for this yet. Please check the Life Line and bulletin for details to come.

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The Parish Post

St. Andrews Parish United Methodist Church 3225 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414

843-766-1080 + standumc@gmail.com + www.sapumc.com

NON-PROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

CHARLESTON, SC 294

PERMIT NO 416

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