MAY THE PEACE AND JOY OF THIS BLESSED CHRISTMAS SEASON BE WITH ALL OF YOU IN THE ST. JAMES FAMILY. AND, BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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1 In This Month s Issue: Pastor s Points Page 1-3 Presidents Points Page 4 Birthdays & Baptismal Anniversaries Page Ministries, Announcements &Upcoming events Page 6-9 Prayer Needs Page 6 School News Page Calendar Page 13 NOTES FROM THE NEW PASTOR Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ, I have given a great deal of prayer and discernment to your calling me to St. James Lutheran Church. After visiting with some of you, discussing the matter with my wife, and prayerfully being open to the Spirit, I feel God is calling me to St. James Lutheran Church as your pastor. It is apparent to me by our conversations together that the people of St. James have a passion for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and for living a life centered in Jesus Christ our Lord. I look forward to walking with you in our journey of faith. I see our ministry together as a partnership in which we pray together and listen together to discern God s plan for our lives and work to bring God s healing, restoration, mercy, love and salvation in Jesus Christ to all people. I think we will be able to do some great things for the glory of God and have a lot of fun doing ministry together. My family and I are excited to get to meet all of you and begin a new chapter in our lives. My first day, serving as your pastor will be on December 12, We look forward to coming home to SC and are thrilled to be a part of the St. James family. Christ s Peace, Pastor Keith MAY THE PEACE AND JOY OF THIS BLESSED CHRISTMAS SEASON BE WITH ALL OF YOU IN THE ST. JAMES FAMILY. AND, BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR! 1

2 WELCOME PASTOR GETZ 2

3 Pastor Keith Getz is a native of South Carolina. He grew up in Columbia. His early childhood years were spent on a small ranch in Gadsden, SC (near Columbia) where his father raised Quarter Horses. When he and his brothers were old enough to start school, they moved to the city. Pastor Keith grew up in a very traditional household. The three most important things to his parents were Jesus Christ (and His Holy Church), family, and education. Family values such as integrity, honesty, and loyalty were taught at a very early age. Pastor Keith comes from Lutheran German ancestry with many generations of Lutherans in his family. Growing up, Pastor Keith belonged to different traditional Lutheran Churches. He was baptized at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Columbia. Pastor Dick Albert was his pastor when he was a child. Pastor Keith was confirmed by Pastor Larry Long at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Columbia. He was heavily involved in the youth group and served on congregational council as a youth representative as well as enjoying youth group and camp at Lutheridge. Pastor Keith attended Wofford College in Spartanburg. He was awarded the Bonner Scholarship, which is a community service scholarship. During his time at Wofford, he volunteered for the United Way, YMCA, at at an after-school program. He also worked as a counselor during the summer. He met his future wife, Laura, who attended a neighboring college. Pastor Keith graduated with a B.A. in English. Pastor Keith began a career in sales and marketing. However he never felt that sales was what God was calling him to do, but he enjoyed building relationships and helping people by showing them how they could run their business more efficiently. During this time, Keith and Laura had their first two children, Caroline and Owen. Pastor Keith kept feeling God s call to the ministry and feeling the need to help people to an even greater extent, he accepted a position as program coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. However, God would not take no for an answer and continued to place on his heart the desire to go into ordained ministry. Eventually, after heartfelt prayer, in which Pastor Keith gave God complete control of his life, our Holy Father gave Pastor a clear sign for what to do. After discerning this call with his local Pastor, Pastor Keith and Laura sold their home in Mauldin, SC and moved their family to Columbia to attend seminary. Pastor Keith attended graduate school at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia. His rigorous studies and life experiences have prepared him for an effective ministry. Pastor Keith also served a chaplain and vicar as part of his training. During his internship, he served as vicar to a congregation in Winston-Salem, NC and Greensboro, NC. He graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 2009 and has been serving a congregation in southwestern Pennsylvania for over two years. Pastor Keith has a theological mind and a pastoral heart, which work together in serving Christ and his congregation. He is also a dedicated husband of 14 years and devoted father of four children. 3

4 PRESIDENT S POINTS Pastor Keith s first day of work is Monday, December 12. He will be installed on Sunday December 18 th by Bishop Yoos. Also on the 18 th, Pastor Keith and Laura s youngest will be baptized. What a wonderful day it will be to have the installation and baptism on the same day to fully welcome the Getzs as part of St James. Immediately following the service, we will have a pot luck luncheon to officially welcome Pastor Keith and Laura and their children to St James. They will be arriving in Sumter sometime this month, but at press time he still did not have a firm date. We are waiting eagerly for his arrival and standing by to help him and his family in any way we can. The annual congregational meeting is on December 11 after the 10:00 service. Council and WELCA will provide sandwiches, chips, and drinks since we have a pot luck the following week. We have sent out a letter to officially announce the meeting and hopefully everyone has received it. At this meeting you will be voting for three new council members for a three-year term, and one for a two-year term to replace someone who resigned, and approving the 2012 budget so this is a very important meeting. We currently have a slate of volunteers for each position. They are Mike Stewart to fill the two-year term and Carl Simpson, Tim Tidwell, and Susan Wild for the three three-year terms. Hope to see everyone there for fellowship and to conduct this important business of the church. We will have Advent services on Wednesday evenings before Christmas. Since Pastor Keith will not be here for the first two and the services are not communion services, we will use to talents of the St James family to have a meaningful worship as we anxiously await for the coming of Jesus Christ on Christmas. Kimberly Dees, who is currently enrolled at the seminary to be become a deaconess and has helped with chapel at Christ Chapel at LTSS and assisted in leading Sunday services at Providence Lutheran, will lead us in worship for those first two services. In His service, Bob Bessel Serving you as Council President 4

5 Messenger Due Dates Church Council Ministry Teams Anything that you wish to be included for publication in the Messenger should be turned in at the church office or ed to: The deadline is 7 days before the last day of the month. The Church Council meets on the 3 rd Monday of each month. This Messenger and monthly calendar can be found on the St. James website: Click on news and calendar to view them. Bob Bessel Gary Bratton Ford Kamin Joyce Diehl Janet Turner Betty Harvin David Armstrong Mike Stewart Kimberley Dees Curt Caulkins Care: Janet Turner Youth: Kimberley Dees Finance: Curt Caulkins Worship: Joyce Diehl Property: Gary Harbath Education Betty Harvin Stewardship: Gary Bratton Evangelism: Ford Kamin Mutual Ministry: Bob Bessel Spiritual Growth: David Armstrong Outreach: Janet Turner Church Officers President: Bob Bessel Vice President: Gary Bratton Secretary: Ford Kamin Treasurer: Glenn Hesselbart DECEMBER 1 Robert Levi 3 Betty Myers 8 Judy Lessard, David Armstrong 9 Erin Davenport 10 Carolyn Obertacz 12 Renay Russell, Judith Terry, 15 Harold Chandler 17 Keith Hamm 18 Chad Lutz 19 Dot Weishuhn 21 Catherine Moore 24 Jim Bradshaw 25 Hope Alexander 26 Arletta Price 27 Curtis Caulkins, Margaret Taylor 28 Carol Ziecker 29 Christine Monroe 30 Bobby Simpson Did we miss your birthday? Write your name and date of birth on the back of your yellow attendance slip and we ll wish you a belated happy birthday in next month s newsletter. 5

6 Baptismal Anniversaries: Sam Dowd, 12/20/98; Chae Hutchinson, ; Bradley Palmo, Prayer Needs If you have a prayer need and would like it in the next Newsletter, please me at stjamesoffice@sc.rr.com Homebound: Ed Hart, Marilyn Kalamas, Olga Summy, Frankie Martin, Don and Jean Hoyt. Health and Related Issues: Phyllis Wisniewski, Deb Forke, Teeny Taylor (Mary Bradshaw s mother), Prudence Roos (Lois Heal s sister), Dot Barrineau, Serena Loney, Rena Morin (Shirley Veins sister)nola Geddings (Hazelee Hallman s sister), Don Deihl (Joyce Deihl s brother, and Tom Taylor. Ministries, Announcements & Upcoming Events AS PARENTS OF A SJLS STUDENT, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the St. James Lutheran Church members/families who held the Trick-or- Treat event on Halloween. We appreciate your time and resources spent on providing a safe place for SJLS students to go. Our daughter really enjoyed the food, games, and fun! It was a bit reminiscent of times long ago! So thank you again, it gave us something to look forward to. Patricia and Matt Morehouse (SJLC Parents). THERE ARE 12 missing burgundy-colored tablecloths. If you know where they have been stored, please call Dot Weishuhn at , or drop them at the church office (8:30-1:30). TEAM WINEBURNER would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who made a donation to the SPCA Mutt Strut. Together, we earned $425. 6

7 LCA Ladies Arts and Crafts and Knitting and Crocheting News St. James Lutheran Church s Knitting and Crocheting group has just completed a project in which they made 55 knitted and crocheted crosses for soldiers to place inside their helmets. These beautiful and inspirational crosses will be placed in Christmas packages to members of the 4 th Battlefield Coordination Detachment who are currently deployed in support of our nation s War on Terror. Along with each cross is included the following: Prayer for Protection: The Light of God surrounds you. The Love of God enfolds you. The Power of God protects you. The Presence of God watches over you. Wherever you are, God is And ALL is well. Given to you with love and prayers from the Ladies of St James Lutheran Church, Sumter, South Carolina. Our Knitting and Crocheting group meets every Wednesday and anyone interested is welcome to join us. You do not need to know how to knit or crochet.we will teach you all you need to know to get started. In addition to the crosses, we are making prayer shawls for the sick and shut-ins, newborn baby blankets and caps for our Tanzania mission and chemo caps cancer patients. Weekly attendance is not required. Our Arts and Crafts group meets along with our knitting and crocheting group. You can learn how to make jewelry, hair bows, and other art projects. So grab your knitting needles, crochet hooks, or some project that you would like to work on, and enjoy the fellowship with a lot of wonderful women. For more information contact Marilyn Jenkins at (press 5 when the call screener picks up) or Jeanne Bessel at We look forward to seeing you..marilyn Jenkins 7

8 Dear Fellow Members of St. James: A Long Range Planning Committee has been formed with the goal of creating a plan for the future of our church. The Committee would deeply appreciate your input and ask that you answer the following questions. 1. What do you like best about these programs at St. James: Mid-Week Bible Study / Worship Terrific Tuesday / Small Group study Fellowship events (covered dish dinners / dinner & a movie / summer picnic) Lutheran Men in Mission Women of ELCA Vacation Bible School Knit / Crochet group Lay Eucharistic Ministry Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts Kairos Prison Ministry Via de Cristo Ministry Confirmation Classes Sunday School Funeral Ministry J.O.Y. Ministry (older adults) Youth Group St. James School Please rank the most important programs to you (1 (1 is s high / 16 is low) Please use additional paper if needed. 2. What ministry opportunity would you like to see added to our outreach? (within St. James or open to the public) Exercise / Yoga Class Singles support (divorced / widow / grief) (not social) Health support (diabetes / heart / weight / other) Military support Music opportunities (concerts / etc) Fellowship between services Other Please complete this survey giving your feedback on the 3-5 ministry opportunities you would most likely be involved with Please put your responses in the offering plate or hand your response to a member of the Long Range Planning Committee by December 31, We will compile this information and meet with Pastor Getz in January to determine our next steps. Sep Harvin (Leader), Brian Crawshaw, Dot Weishuhn, Susan Wild, Susan Chandler, Perry Moses, Tim Tidwell, and Karen Hesselbart, your long range planning committee team. 8

9 MIDWEEK ADVENT SERVICES will be held in the Sanctuary on Wednesdays at 7:00pm beginning on November 30 th and continuing on December 7 th, December 14 th, and December 21 st. Kimberly Dees, who is studying at the Lutheran Seminary to be a Deaconess and a St. James member, will lead the first 2 services and Pastor Getz will lead the second two services. ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18 Bishop Yoos will be here to conduct the service of installation for Pastor Getz. In addition, Pastor Keith and Laura will have their youngest child, Ellison Elizabeth Getz, Baptized on this Sunday. Following the service, there will be a pot-luck luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. Please bring a dish to share and join us for this joyous occasion. OUR CHURCH AT WORK: Lutheran World Relief, a U.S. Lutheran ministry in international relief and sustainable development, sent $11.8 million worth of quilts, health kits, school supplies, sewing kits, layettes and soap to 838,302 people in 24 countries in ELCA World Hunger distributed more than $19 million in 2009, 70% of which went to international recipients. DEAR MEMBERS OF ST. JAMES, On behalf of the 4 th Battlefield Detachment on Shaw, we would like to thank you for the incredible amount of support you ve shown the unit and its families. Our deployed soldiers were so touched by the crosses made by the WELCA knitting group, and many families were grateful that the congregation has allowed the unit to use the Fellowship Hall to host a childcare event. Word of your generosity and outreach is spreading! With many thanks, Mark and Teresa Denton. LOL: A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human as it was physically impossible. The little girl said, When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah. The teacher asked What if Jonah went to hell? The little girl replied, Then you ask him. THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF 12 LOCAL CHOIRS will be heard at the Festival of Choirs on Sunday, December 4 th at 4:00pm at Trinity United Methodist Church on Liberty St. The choirs will come together to present a concert of sacred Christmas music and at the conclusion, all choirs will sing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel s Messiah. The St. James choir will be represented at the concert. There is no charge for admission. 9

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14 St.James Lutheran Church 1137ALICE DRIVE Sumter, SC Return Service Requested Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit 105 Sumter, SC Church Office Hours: Monday Friday: 8:30 1:30 Office: Fax: SERVICES: Wednesday: 10:30 am, Bible Study Noon, Holy Communion Service Sunday School: 9:00 am Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 am ST. JAMES LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT: called by God, centered in the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we rejoice in the Lord, proclaim His gift of Grace through liturgical worship and service and share Christ s love 14