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This Week at St. James: August 2nd thru August 8th (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost) PLEASE NOTE: Our Sunday Worship schedule (COVID-19 Guidelines): OUR MISSION STATEMENT “Called by God, centered in the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we rejoice in the Lord, OUR STAFF AT ST. JAMES Pastor . ……………………...... Cell 803-607-5956 .……………….. Rev. Keith Getz
Welcome Visitors: If you’ve been baptized and wish to receive Holy Communion, you may come forward and participate. Those unable to come to the altar will commune in the pews first. If you are a first time visitor, please take home a welcome coffee mug located in the back of the Sanctuary. We thank you for worshipping with us today and hope you will come again. Small children are welcome in the worship. Busy Bags are available in the Narthex and scribble pads are in the back of the church. If your children become restless, we have a nursery available where they will be cared for with love. An usher would be happy to direct you. Amplified Hearing Assistance System—We now have Hearing/Hearing Aid amplification devices (using wireless telecoil technology) available for those that are hearing impaired that can pair to compatible hearing aids or using a free loaner headset. Please speak to one of the Ushers. They will assist you obtaining a compatible loaner kit. Today’s Music: Prelude —Chorale by Johann P. Kirnberger; Andante Cantabile, from Fourth Organ Symphony by Charles M. Widor. Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in Honor or our 25th Wedding Anniversary which the Lord so graciously blessed us with by Mark Peterson & Lisa Heichberger.
ATTENDENCE COVID-19 Comments From Your Council & Pastor We have resumed in-person worship with two services at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Each Service will be approximately 35 minutes long. At this time, there will be no Holy Communion. Be sure to call Susan Caulkins at 803-773-1040 to register seating for July 26th (9:00 or 11:00 a.m. service). Weekly Offering Offering for Sunday, July 26th - $2,921.50 June Total - $17,431.50
2019 Average Attendance 2019 Special Services Announcements: Reminder - Please remember to coordinate with the Church Office prior to scheduling events so that Valerie may reserve the date and include your event on the Church Calendar. IMPORTANT: There is now a mail slot in the office door (on the breezeway) across from the library. Please feel free to drop off your tithes, notes, and etc. NO BIBLE STUDY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE The church office has returned to regular hours (Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.). Savannah Grace Stewart graduated in December 2019 from USC-Columbia with a Bachelors Degree in Marine Biology. She is employed by the U.S. Polo Association. She spends her spring/summers in Nantucket and will spend the fall/winter in West Palm Beach. She manages the Association’s store in Nantucket and conducts team promotions/events. Savannah was born into the St. James Family on 8/11/1997. Her parents, Mike and Jackie (and dog Oliver) miss her but are excited to see her career take off. We join in their pride of her success! Ashley Crawshaw completed her first year at USC-Columbia. In the midst of the sudden “stay-at-home” mandates, she made the 4.0 Dean’s List! She returns to Columbia mid-August to continue her studies in Exercise Science. In 2007, Ashley was 6 years old when she and her family transferred to St. James. Join in our prayers for her continued dedication to her studies. Bob Bessel has been selected to continue in Arletta Price’s Council seat for 2020. We appreciate his willingness to serve. Arletta’s guidance on Council has been invaluable. Alex and Sherry McLeod contacted United Ministries this past week. They are in need of CANNED items such as baked beans, fruit, and any vegetables including potatoes. They also have a need for loaves of sliced bread. Baskets are in the Narthex and a container is in the Library or you can drop your donations off at the church office. Thank you for your faithful donations to this worthy charity. Altar Flowers: There are numerous Sundays available for you to provide flowers in memory or honor of someone or a special event. Sign-up sheet is in the Narthex on the closet door. DON’T FORGET: Weekly Bulletin & News: Please contact the church office (phone or email) with any announcements or prayer list additions. Rev. Getz will be on vacation July 31st—August 5th. THANK YOU for welcoming us into your church! We are sad to leave so soon, but we hope to return when we come back to Shaw. Cheers! Nathan & Rachel Sax Correction to Church Directory: Herman Voigt’s phone number is 803-840-3024. Mrs. Ann Reynolds is still at National Health Care. She is making slow but steady progress with physical therapy. Mrs. Ann Reynolds Praise Report from Karen Bailey: I would like to thank my church family for praying for my grandson, Matthew Macerelli, while he was flying missions in Afghanistan for 10 months. I am happy to inform you that he arrived back in NY state on Friday, July 18, 2020. Special thanks to Emery McElveen and John Kinser for setting up Classroom #5 with tables. The room is now more suitable for meetings and gatherings. Thanks to all the Property Team for all you do for our Church. DON’T FORGET: Altar Flowers: There are (3) Sundays available for you to provide flowers for the remainder of this year: September 27th, November 1st and November 29th. Sign-up sheet is in the Narthex on the closet door. New Christ in our Home devotional books for the third quarter of 2020 (July through August) are in the Narthex. Large Print versions are also available. Please pick up your copy today. August Lay Reader Schedule If you will be unavailable on your assigned Sunday, please let Cheryl Schemling (803-499-1050) or Valerie know as soon as possible. August Birthdays Please contact the church office (phone or email) with any announcements you would like to have put in the bulletin. Property (John Kinser): The FSH A/C is not working. Our consensus, at this time, is not to have it fixed for the immediate future. The Synod recommends no coffee hour, congregational dinners, etc. that would require the use of the FSH. At some point, we will either have to decide to limp it along again or replace the system. Right now, this is not a priority. Therefore, to alleviate the need for the FSH for committee meetings, Council meetings, Sunday School, Bible study, etc. we will set up classroom #5 in the Education Wing for small group meetings. It is a double classroom with enough space for up to 12 people to properly distance. After the school officially closes on May 31st, our team will get this room set up. There are other classrooms that may be used for smaller groups should there be a scheduling conflict. Pastor Keith Getz may be reached during office hours at 803-773-2260. At times of crisis: 803-607-5956 (Cell); Email - revgetz@yahoo.com. Regular Office Hours: Office hours are Monday thru Thursday, 8:30-12:30am. Please call his cell phone if you need to contact him.
Pastor Keith has these comments on today's Gospel, Matthew 14:13-21 Like God’s miracle feeding of the Israelites with mana in the wilderness, Jesus, the Son of God, the Bread of Life, miraculously feeds a crowd of over 5,000 people. Unlike King Herod’s meal, which ends in death, the death of John the Baptist, Jesus’s meal is life-giving, which is why it is connected with Jesus healing the sick and having compassion on the crowd. In Christ, God meets our spiritual and physical needs to live. Using the ordinary, meager resources of five loaves and two fish, Jesus is able to use them and multiple them. Too many times the Church has focused on the spiritual aspect of the Gospel at the expense of meeting the physical needs of those who are in need. It is my suspicion that this is not due to having hardened hearts but due to believing we do not have the resources to provide them with physical sustenance. Jesus’s feeding miracle says differently. If we all give what we can, Jesus will use our talents and possessions and multiple them, so all can be physically and spiritually fed. Notice that Jesus uses the disciples to distribute the food. Why? So they can experience and participate in the miracle, and through it, Jesus expands their perception of what is possible in Christ. May the Bread of Life, Jesus, continue to bless us and feed us with the abundance of God’s grace. And may we be a people, who, like Jesus, look up to heaven, in prayer, and give thanks for all we have. And through Christ, living in us, may we be a means of His abundant grace to others. Amen. Online Notification Instructions to access weekly online service videos through Facebook: Go directly to the St. James website (www.stjamessumter.org) and click on the Facebook icon link at the bottom of the page, lower right side. YouTube: 2020 Annual Congregational Meeting Election Results: Council Executive Team for 2020 Newly elected members of Council (three year term 2020-2022) Nominating Team Members (2020-2021) 2020 Congregation Synod Assembly Representative (May 14-16, 2020; Columbia SC) Please Note : Pastor Keith’s day off is now on Monday. SJLS School is Closed. Reopening the school for the 2021-2022 will be assessed over the next 6-12 months. The 2020 Altar Flower calendar is up in the Narthex. Please take a few minutes to reserve your date(s). Altar flowers can be dedicated to remember a loved one or to commemorate a special event, such as a birthday or anniversary. Fresh flowers are always a blessing. The cost for the two arrangements are $54.00 – if you choose, the arrangements may be shared/split between two families. If you want to send an update or a message for the congregation to be published in next bulletin, feel free to let us know (email the church, leave a message on church phone or call Valerie). If you would like to have a visit from Pastor Keith, please give him a call or send an email. During worship, we will be standing for the Hymn of the Day which is after the sermon. Distribution of Holy Communion—We will be distributing Holy Communion to those who are unable to come up to the Altar first, followed by the rest of the Congregation. Suspended UFN due to COVID-19 precautions based on SC Synod guidance. When folding the kneelers back up, please try to do it quietly. NURSERY (Not Available UFN) : We have a nursery available during the 10:00 a.m. Worship Service. Thank you to all of those who have volunteered to assist with this much needed ministry. Silence (in the Nave): We enter the church in silence, being respectful of God’s house and mindful of those who are already there praying. Also, during the distribution of Holy Communion, we sit in our pews in silence or in silent prayer, acknowledging the sanctity of the moment and being respectful of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Prayer and Meditation Time—Prior to the service, only the altar lights will be on for a time of prayer and meditation. As part of our mission to proclaim Jesus Christ in word and deed, the Evangelism team encourages you to be on the lookout for those in your community who are in need and see how you can help make their day a little better. This random act of kindness can be anything from paying for someone’s meal behind you at the fast food drive-through to opening the door for someone. The important thing is to be aware of someone in need and show them the love of Jesus Christ. We have cards located in the narthex that say: “This random act of kindness has been passed on to you by St. James Lutheran Church. Baptized to Serve.” The card also has our church’s physical address and email on it. This is an easy way for us to help those in our community and to show others that St. James and Jesus Christ cares about them. Please pick up some cards after worship if you wish to participate. ELCA Disaster Relief Fund - If you would like to make a donation to the ELCA Disaster Relief Fund you may do so by sending your check to (or use the Internet DRF link on home page): Lutheran Disaster Response What’s going on with the Youth Next! Youth News Sunday, 2nd of August : Youth Group - None Evangelism News: St. James Lutheran Church Car Window Clings with our sword and shell symbol are now available for $1.43 each and may be purchased from any member of the Evangelism Team. Team members will be located in the Library after each worship service and in the Fellowship Hall before Sunday School. This is not a fundraiser as the clings are being sold at cost. We just want to give everyone an opportunity to show that St. James is a vibrant part of our community! St. James Lutheran Church E-mail addresses: The Church Administrative Assistant Ms. Valerie Johnson can be reached at Office: 773-2260 or E-mail: stjamesoffice@sc.rr.com.
Monthly Newsletters:Printable Monthly Newsletters
SJLC Weekly Sermons:
ELCA News:
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Remember in your Prayers : Tom Lovett, Dee Osborne, Perry Register, Ann Reynolds, Stan Salter, Barbara & Homer Smith (Harbath’s friends), Eve Stegner, Maury Turner (Acute Myeloid Leukemia-previous church secretary Stephanie’s husband), and Shirley Viens.
Click Here For Our SJLC Interactive Monthly Calendar
