Nov Pastor s Postings

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1 St. Andrews Parish United Methodist Church The Reverend Brad Gray, Pastor 3225 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC standumc@gmail.com God Gathers Us + To Worship Together + To Care for One Another + To Become God's Love for the World + Nov Pastor s Postings... 1 Ray s Reflections..2 Announcements... 3 Birthdays/Anniversaries... 4 Calendar... 5 SUNDAY SERVICEs: 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 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, , or return mail. Thank you. Pastor s Postings 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 'dreamworld'. 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 -1 - 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 playworld. 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

2 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! 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! Blessings and Peace, Pastor Brad <>< Christmas Decorating Party Sunday Nov. 29th 4pm SAP Christmas Concert Sunday, Dec. 13th 6pm We have two 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 to standumc@gmail.com. Pastor Brad s Bible study will begin Tuesday, Dec. 1st at 7pm. Come join us as we dive into God s Word. Mark your calendar! 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. Services will be held at 6pm & 8pm THUMBS UP EXERCISE My first thought was how could ANYONE question the power and majesty of God. GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL HE DOES! GROUP Meets every Thursday at Ray LeTellier, Co-Lay Leader -2-

3 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 Joint Sunday School Experience for Advent Nov. 29th - Dec. 20th Each Sunday at 10AM 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 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 UMW Annual Christmas Brunch Thank you for your help and participation in Trunk or Treat! We raised $ 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 Saturday, December Town and Country + Cost $20 Reservations and payments must be made by Sunday, Nov. 29th Meets every 10:30am. November 7th Tickets are on sale now for $5 in the church office. The money raised will benefit the Charleston Wesley Foundation. Sing Along Schedule Nov. 3rd Palmetto Assisted Living Nov 17th Ashley Park Nov. 24th National Healthcare Joy Circle - November 10am Genesis Circle - November 7pm For more information contact Miriam Hunter or Cindy Walden

4 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. 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 - 4 -

5 Cookie Monster Day - 5 -

6 «ase» «encodedimbno» «presorttrayid» «presortdate» «name» «address» «city-state-zip» NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHARLESTON, SC 294 PERMIT NO 416 St. Andrews Parish United Methodist Church 3225 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC standumc@gmail.com The Parish Post