THE EPISTLE MARCH. February. St. Paul United Methodist Church

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1 March 2018 Volume 18, Issue 3 MARCH St. Paul United Methodist Church February THE EPISTLE March! The word not only names this month, but it is also a verb, a word that describes an act of moving forward with intention; a steady advance. Toward what are you marching? Each day are you advancing steadily toward the goal of being a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, or do you find yourself in more of a meandering pattern that doesn t seem to have much forward motion involved? It is easy to get distracted from our goal, even when we are desiring to move toward something that we believe is very important. One of the ways to stay focused on a goal is to have another person to help guide us and hold us accountable for the steps we should be making. We see this practice in many areas in the world. Most, if not all, successful athletes have a coach to help them make the most of their talents and resources. Many successful business entrepreneurs have a coach or advisor that helps them make fruitful choices. Many world leaders have advisors with whom they consult daily before making decisions that will affect large numbers of people. St. Paul UMC has seized an opportunity to work with a church growth coach, Paul Nickerson, over this next year. Coach Nickerson has a successful track record of helping churches across the country embrace practices that allow them to reconnect with their communities and to help new people come into a relationship with Jesus Christ and his church. Our coach will remind us repeatedly that the key to growing a congregation is for each person in the congregation to meet new people, build relationships with new people, and to invite, pick up, and bring new people to activities where they can fellowship with other church people in settings outside of the church. Then, when the relationship has been established, the church member can invite, pick up, and bring the new person to church. Some of you are thinking that this sounds like a lot of work and that it involves a lot of time and commitment. You are exactly right! But what better way to spend your time, energy, and resources than to help someone come to know that Jesus loves them and desires to be in a relationship with them through the church, which is the body of Christ. There are a lot of lonely people in our community (70% are unchurched) who are looking for fulfillment and a place to belong, where they will be loved and nurtured, where they will find purpose and meaning for their life. So, will you start a conversation with a new person today? Will you invite an unchurched neighbor or acquaintance to have coffee, to join in a cookout, to watch a television special with you and some of your church friends this week? Will you invite, pick up, and bring to church this week an unchurched person with whom you already have a relationship? Let each day of March remind you that it is time to march on, to move forward with intention and to advance steadily toward our goal of helping new people come into relationship with Jesus Christ and his church. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Matthew 9:37 Blessings as you reach out, Pastor Susan

2 T HE EPI S TL E V olume 18, I s s u e 3 P a ge 2 Lay Servant Ministry School The Spring 2018 Lay Servant Ministries School is set for March 18 and 25 at Leesville UMC, 2:00 P.M. 7:30 P.M. A light supper will be served. Registration information has been mailed to all pastors and current lay servants in the Greenwood District. Courses to be offered include: Basic Course: This course is required of all those who wish to be certified as a Local Church Lay Servant. If this is your first application to become a Lay Servant, you should register for this course. The cost is $33 which includes the book. Each One A Minister (Spiritual Gifts): This is an advanced course and the Basic course is a prerequisite. Registration fee is $23. Let the Whole Church Say Amen (Prayer): This is an advanced course and the Basic course is a prerequisite for this course. Registration fee is $23.00 Accountable Discipleship: This is an advanced course but the Basic course is not a pre-requisite for this course. Registration fee is $23.00 Registration deadline is March 10. NO REGISTRATIONS WILL BE TAKEN AT THE DOOR. Registration forms and additional information are available in the vestibule. Young Adult Fellowship The Young Adults will meet at the parsonage on March 4 and 11 at 6 P.M. Vacation Bible School Anyone interested in helping with Vacation Bible School is invited to a planning meeting on Monday, March 5, at 6:30 P.M. at Pizza Hut. UMW The Louise Best Circle will meet on March 6, at 3 P.M. in the Social Hall. Growing in God Kids G.I.G. Kids will meet March 4, 11, and 18 at 6 P.M. in the Social Hall. The last meeting will be on March 18. Church Council Council will meet Wednesday, March 14, at 7 P.M. in the Social Hall. Please note that we are meeting the 2nd Wednesday in the month instead of the 3rd Wednesday. Backpack Ministry Join us in the Family Life Center on Thursday, March 29, at 4 P.M. to pack the food for the children in Saluda County. We will meet at 4:00 instead of 5:00 so that we can finish before the Maundy Thursday/Tenebrae Service begins at 6 PM. A light meal will be served. ALL are invited. Family Night Join us on Sunday evening, March 25, in the Family Life Center for Family Night. We will have food, an egg hunt, and a family Easter activity. Time to be announced. Maundy Thursday/Tenebrae Service Make plans to attend the Maundy Thursday/Tenebrae Service on Thursday, March 29, at 6 P.M. in preparation of the Great Day of Resurrection on Sunday, April 1. Spring Fest On Saturday, March 31, we are partnering with other local churches to participate in hosting a Community Easter Egg Hunt at the Saluda Park. The Egg Hunt begins at 10 A.M. There will be inflatables, booths, candy, and prizes. Volunteers are needed to work the booths, the prize table, and to hide the eggs, etc. We also need unopened bags of individually wrapped candy and plastic Easter eggs. A collection box is located in the vestibule. If you would like to volunteer, a sign-up sheet is located in the vestibule.

3 T HE EPI S TL E V olume 18, I s s u e 3 P a ge 3 District Packing Party Everyone is invited to join us on Saturday, March 17, 10:00 A.M. in the parking lot of Lowe s Home Improvement on Hwy. 72 Bypass in Greenwood for a packing party to pack 100 flood/cleaning buckets. These cleaning buckets will be delivered to the SC Conference Center and then transported to an UMCOR location for storage in preparation for the next crisis (e.g., flood, tornado, hurricane). We appreciate the support of the Lowe s management in helping the Greenwood District secure the necessary supplies to fill these cleaning buckets. We will be accepting contributions on March 10 toward the support of an ERT (Emergency Response Team) that will be traveling to Puerto Rico in the Fall to help rebuild some areas of that devastated country. Each cleaning bucket is blessed with prayer for the ones who will receive a cleaning bucket and for the ones who prepared the buckets. Come join us and be blessed in your service to others. Asbury Hills Service Weekend St. Paul United Methodist Church of Saluda SC youth (Meredith, McKenzie, and Courtney Wertz, and Katie Altman) went to Asbury Hills February 16th - 18th for the Hands and Feet mission. During this mission, 170 volunteers joined together to help prepare the camp for summer. Our group started by helping move lumber and tin to Matthew's Shower primitive campsite. Fortunately ours was the closest, but due to the rainy weather, the trail was slick and steep in places, and made the journey challenging. Next we picked up deadfall near archers area, followed by taking and removing leaves on a tarp. Fortunately Katie had experience with leaves and tarps and showed us the easiest way to empty the tarps. After our work was done, we had some down time to relax before the worship service that evening. On Sunday, the girls were interested in having photos at both the lakeside and mountain chapel. Overall, we had a great time. If you followed the weather, you will understand this weekend: a service of love in various rain. Thank you St Paul Church! We had a great time and look forward to 2019.

4 P a ge 4 T HE EPI S TL E V olume 18, I s s u e 3 Prayer List Nursing Home: Dorothy Phillips, Ann Thompson, Billy Coleman, Clyde Wade, Kathleen Padgett, Irene Riddle Shut Ins: Ruby Herlong, Linda Beber, Grace Givens Members: Rose Eva Rankin, Peg Bolton, Bill Perkins, Eileen Quattlebaum, Billy Higbee, Patsy Quattlebaum, Allene Able, Gina Fingerlin, Fairy Smith, Bela Herlong, Helen Humphries, Kim Hopkins, Lois DeLoache, Viola Goff, Russell Altman Friends and Family: Charlie Beber, Reba Bodie, Tyler Stegall, Russell Durst, Carol Snipes and her mother, Skylar Knight, Jessica Suggs, Andrea Stevens, Gloria Edwards, John Higgins, Harriett Ryan, Mike Skinner, Butch Bledsoe, Kayla Matthews, Chuck and Sandra Collard, Faculty and Students, Joyce Fingerlin, Rich Coots, Evelyn Stewart, Wayne Riddle, Clyde Hendrix, James Andrews, David McDaniel, Austin Harding, Jennifer Yawn, Mary Lee Butler, James Andrews Those Battling Cancer: Billy Wall, Sheryl Maffett, Pam Williams, Ron Depin, Annette Latham, Anthony Corley, Kathy Dodgen, Fred Parkman, Patty Coleman, Myra Bennett, Delores Lester, Lucy Ackerman Higgins, Cyndi Keats, Harvey Sauls, Arnold Stone, Richard Eargle, Joye Hutto, Charles Taylor, Nancy Ann Coleman Wooten, Josh Enlow, Brad Coleman, Deborah Minick, Chad Arant, Beth Sauls Military: Chris Crouch, Chuck Bearon, Ryan Caulder, Robbie Grafton, Brandon Bryan, Shannon Corley, Parker Hite, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Rollins, Ben Thank You Dear Members of St. Paul UMC, Thank you for your contributions to help the less fortunate in our community. The financial help you provide helps with food, a warm bed for a night, employment, classes, a burn out room for fire victims, and other services in our community. Our focus here at Christ Central is for our seniors and working poor in our own neighborhoods and we appreciate partnering with you in any way. If there is anything we can help you with please let us know. Thank you for continuing support and prayers for the important work in our community. Very truly yours, Joy Antley Director Birthdays and Anniversaries MARCH 1-Wilbur Humphries 3-Alicea Caroline Warren 4- Warren Stover 7-M/M David Miller 9-Sheree Riley, Jonathon Smith 10-Katie Miller Dorn 12-Mike Ramey, Connie Beddoes 13-Mary Beth Trotter 14-M/M James Smith 15-Michael Trotter 16-Miriam Willis, Gwen Shealy 17-Britt Trotter, Cadence Horne 21-Natalie Hite, Boyce Guy 22-Seth Mitchell, Angell Adams 23-Jeffrey Herlong 26-Joan Perkins 27-Stacie Goff, Paulette Rollins 28-M/M Wilbur Humphries, Roddy Easterlin Memorials In memory of Mike and Patti Stevens by Rose Eva and Rhonda Rankin, M/M John White, M/M Samuel Stevens In memory of Patti Stevens by M/M Dan Guy In memory of Mike Stevens by Kenny and Karen C. Abstance, Jane C. Edwards & Tony Nix, Children & Grandchildren of Jane Edwards In memory of Helen Murray by Caroline Herlong, Louise Best Circle, Julia Wills, M/M Dan Guy, M/M Samuel Stevens In memory of Calvin Martin by Julia Wills In honor of Mary Helen Duffie by Anne Rauch

5 March 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Covenant Bible Study 6:15-8:15 PM in SH Communion GIG Kids 6 PM in SH Young Adult Fellowship at Parsonage 6 PM 11 Daylight Saving Time begins GIG Kids 6 PM in SH Young Adult Fellowship at Parsonage 6 PM 18 Lay Servant Ministry School GIG Kids 6 PM in SH 5 VBS Planning Mtg. 6:30 PM at Pizza Hut 12 Girl Scouts 6-7:30 PM in SH 6 Louise Best Circle 3 PM in SH 7 Covenant Bible Study 10-noon in SH Lenten Service at Zoar UMC 12 noon Lenten Service at Saluda Pentecostal 12 noon Church Council 7 PM in SH Lenten Service at Mt. Pleasant 12 noon 8 Covenant Bible Study 6:15-8:15 PM in SH 15 Deadline to order Easter Lilies 9 FLC reserved for 4-H Banquet Winter Jam 10 Deadline to register for Lay Servant School Greenwood District Packing Party at Lowe s in Greenwood 10 AM Palm Sunday Lay Servant Ministry School Family Night with Egg Hunt in FLC 26 Girl Scouts 6-7:30 PM in SH FLC reserved by Saluda County Chamber of Commerce Backpack Ministry 4 PM in FLC Maundy Thursday/ Tenebrae Service 6 PM Community Easter Egg Hunt at the park

6 St. Paul United Methodist Church 102 E. Butler Ave Saluda, SC Phone: Community Lenten Services Mar. 7 Zoar UMC Louie Murray Mar. 14 Saluda Pentecostal Jim Glander Mar. 21 Mt. Pleasant Ken Freeman The community is invited to join at noon each Wednesday in Lent for worship, 12:30 for lunch and fellowship. An offering of financial or canned goods will be received and then given to Christ Central. LAY SERVANT MINISTRY SCHOOL March 18 & 25, 2-7:30 PM Information and registration forms are available in the vestibule. DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS MARCH 10. March 11 EASTER LILIES Deadline to place your Easter lily order is March 15th. The cost is $25. Call Jill at by MARCH 15th.