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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

Jan.

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—Thursday,

9:oo am to 4:00pm,

Fridays 9:00am to 1:00pm

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.

In reflecting on what has transpired

in 2014, I am struck by how amazing it has

been at times and how dark it has been at

other times. I am more and more

convinced that the

world needs more

Jesus, maybe not

necessarily church or

religion, but more

Jesus. So how does

that happen? Well, we as Christ followers

should start acting more like Jesus.

Forgiveness, grace, compassion, joy, and

love are all words that come to my mind

when I think about Jesus. And we who

believe in Jesus most often live out our

faith in community with each other and the

world. This is what we call The Church.

For us, the United Methodist flavor of

The Church, we make commitments and

covenant together when we enter into

community. In light of who we are as

God's people of Saint Andrews Parish

United Methodist, I would like to offer you

some 'New Year's

resolutions' for

2015. I have

never been great

at keeping

resolutions, but I

did make it to August with a couple of

them from last year. This year I am going

to try to do even better, not just for myself,

but for those around me. So here are your

five 'New Year's resolutions' for 2015:

First, commit to pray more. Other

faiths do this much more obediently than

we do. Set aside a couple

of times a day to pause and

pray. Set an alarm to go off

on your phone. When it

goes off, stop and lift a

word to God on behalf of

someone or something. Offer a word of

thanksgiving to God. Remember, prayer is

at least a six month endeavor, so be

faithful and persistent in your prayers. Pray

for the church, loved ones, strangers,

enemies, the government, the world, or

countless other things. Constant

communication with the divine will only

help you.

Second, commit to be present.

If you believe that what we do at

St. Andrews Parish matters, then

be here to be a part of it. I want

you to go big on this one.

Attempt to be present 45

Sundays out of the year. That gives you 7

times to be absent. Plan your trips

accordingly. If you are in town, come to

worship with us. We work hard to make

worship a meaningful experience.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.

But I have never met a single person who

was moved in any way by a worship

service in which he or she was not present.

It simply cannot happen.

Third, be a generous gift

giver this year. Coming off

of Christmas, probably the

last thing you want to be

told is to give gifts. I would

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encourage you to increase your giving in general in your

life. I have seen some very creative ways to do this. One

recommended starting the first week of the year and

save $1 to give away later. Each week increase the

amount by $1. By the time you reach December you

have $1200 saved up to give away at the end of the year

to a worthy cause. Others recommend committing to

give away $10 each week, on top of what you already

give. That would be an extra $520 given away by the

end of the year. We have some great ministry

opportunities for you to give to, but we admit that we

are not the only game in town when it comes to needing

money to do ministry. Find one that moves you and

give.

Fourth, look for new opportunities

to serve this year. We have several

ministries here at St. Andrews

Parish that could use you. The 3rd

Wednesday of each month we give

out food at our food pantry. In late

January we will begin packing special food bags to be

taken to a local elementary school on Fridays of each

week. Soon a new prayer ministry will start up called

'Prayer Raisers'. (See, you can knock out two off the list

with just one meeting.) All of these things, as well as

our usual Sunday servant opportunities, Salkehatchie,

VBS, Children's Ministry, or other ministries need

people to step up. Look to serve with us

at least once a month.

Fifth, and finally, be a witness in 2015.

Think about your life. You are a

follower of Jesus because someone

once told you about Jesus. Do that for

someone else. I challenge each of you

to invite one person, just one person, to

come and experience worship with us.

Bring a friend to one of our social events. Make sure

your neighbor knows about our Easter and Christmas

Celebrations. Any of these are ways to witness and

could possibly result in someone having a stronger

relationship with Jesus Christ.

So there you have it. Your five resolutions for the new

year. Join me and others in any of these as we continue

to do Kingdom work here in the West Ashley

community. I am thankful for all that you have done in

the past and for all that we will do together in the future.

I hope to see you soon!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Pastor Brad

<><

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

Ray Ray LeTellier,

Co-Lay Leader

As we begin a new year with hopes of being

renewed and refreshed, let’s all remember

where that hope comes from “...but those who

hope in the LORD will renew their strength;

they will soar on wings like eagles; they will

run and not be tired; they will walk and not be

weary.” Isaiah 40:31

Happy New Year and

Blessings,

Sing Along Schedule Jan. 6th Palmetto Assisted

Living @10am Jan 27th National Healthcare

April 24 - 25, 2015

www.therealconference.com

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THUMBS UP EXERCISE GROUP

There will be a combined UMW Meeting

January 12, 2015 at 7:00pm,

for the installation of officers. All officers please plan to attend. There will be no separate Circle

meetings in January .

For more information contact Miriam Hunter 556-1651 or Cindy Walden 763-3996

UMW Soup Sale Once again, the UMW will

be selling soup with orders

taken in the narthex of the

church for three

Sundays only: January 4, 11,

and 18. Purchased soup will

be available January 25, in

the church kitchen.

Seventeen (17) varieties of soups will be available

including White Chicken Chili, Italian Wedding

Soup, Tortellini, and Ribollita. A sign listing all

the varieties available will be posted in the

narthex, prior to sales. Each variety is available in

limited quantities, so plan to order early. Soups

are $9.00 a quart, and payment for the soup is

expected at the time the soup is ordered.

Half of the proceeds is used to fund the

SAPUMW Scholarship.

Dear Church Family, John and I would like to thank you for all the cards, visits, food, phone calls, and comfort. Our son Jack’s death was a blessing to him after so many years of ill health but it’s still hard to accept. Blessings to all. Love, Billie & John Fucci and family A memorial service will be held on January 10th @ 1pm at SAPUMC

United Methodist Women’s

Christmas Brunch The United Methodist Women started the

Advent Season on December 6, with a fantastic

Christmas Brunch at Trotters

Restaurant in The Towne and

Country Inn. Over thirty

ladies, and Pastor Brad with

his family, dined on a

bountiful selection of foods in the festively decorated

dining area. Service was excellent and

the meal was delicious!

Eartha Goodwin, guest of the ladies and

outgoing president of the Charleston

District UMW, spoke acknowledging

the many positive efforts and the hard

work for Missions of our UMW ladies.

We would like to thank Cindy Walden, facilitator of the

Genesis Circle for organizing the brunch and making all

arrangements. In addition, her Circle provided seasonal

favors at each place setting while room decorations

were provided by the restaurant. All who attended said

they thoroughly enjoyed the event. Thank you Cindy

and the Genesis Circle!

UMM meets every 2nd Thursday of every month at 7pm with a meal at 6:30pm. Every man in the church is a

Methodist Men’s member and is invited to participate in all meetings and

functions.

UMM Annual Dinner Meeting January 15 @ 7pm

At Gilligan’s West Ashley All men and their wives are invited!

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BIRTHDAYS:

Sean Masopust 1/3

Pat Kestler 1/8

Shane Johnson 1/12

Stacey Ribble 1/15

Trey Carson 1/17

Jon McCall 1/18

Sarah Davis Sweeten 1/23

Beth Richards 1/26

Anna Britt 1/28

Jessica Follin 1/29

Angie Bauer 1/30

ANNIVERSARIES:

11 Louis & Bessie Wilson

15 Charles & Diane Leeper

18 John & Gladys Bledsoe

19 Justin & Katherine Brown

20 Ronnie & Pansy Leppert

24 Farrell & Judy Brittain

26 John & Robin Steinberger

Meetings resume Jan 8th @ 10:30am

The United Methodist Women are again

sponsoring the “SECRET PAL”

program. If you’d like to participate, please pick up a form from

the UMW or hall bulletin boards, fill it out, and give it to Miriam Hunter

or drop it in the envelope provided on the board. Secret

Pals will be assigned soon.

Acts 29 K-12 Performance Group

WHO? Any youth in Kindergarten through 12

WHEN? Practice: every Sunday from 10:00-

10:15. Performance: three times per

year (March, late May, December)

WHERE? The Sanctuary

WHAT? Initially, there will be singing and

choreographed movement. Participants’

talents will determine our final path.

WHY? Colossians 3:16

Thank you for your cards, calls, food, visits and especially the prayers during Billy’s surgery and

recovery. We feel so very blessed and greatly appreciate all that’s been done.

God Bless! Billy & Priscilla Outlaw

The 2015 Altar Flower

Calendar is available on the

door of room A-1. Don’t

forget to stop by and sign up!

SAPUMC PRAYER RAISERS

For anyone interested in joining a group dedicated to daily prayer for our church and those on our

prayer list, an informational meeting will be held Sunday, January 11, 2015 at 10:45am. Questions? Contact Ceil Weber at ceilweber1@gmail.com and

reference Prayer Raisers.

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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 + sapumc.com

NON-PROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

CHARLESTON, SC 294

PERMIT NO 416

Please see the bulletin board outside the church office for sign ups,

service opportunities, and Bible studies.