Sharing Our Faith St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

3080 Okatie Highway, between the back gates of Sun City on Hwy 170

Volume 16, Issue 7 JULY 2021

St. Luke’s UMC,

As we begin this journey anew, Cynthia and I would like to say Thank You. Thank you for

the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful body of Christ. Thank you for the

opportunity to bring a fresh and new vision for this Hospital for souls in need of healing. As

we seek to return to the sanctuary let’s not forget how God has opened our eyes to doing

ministry in new and unique ways outside of the four walls. We must continue to work

inside and outside of the church building to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the

transformation of the world. We need not be afraid to seek to reach people where they are

and be willing to roll up pants legs and shirt sleeves and get into the muck to help bring

them out and lead them to Christ. As Bishop Holston says: “We have to be the best Word

that people read even if they never pick up the Bible.”

Again we say thank for opening your hearts, minds and doors to our family and the

willingness to move forward to where God is calling and leading us.

Rev. Christopher L. Thompson, D. Min

Please join us in the Fellowship Hall on July 11th at 10:00 a.m.

for a reception and get to know our new pastor and his wife. Rain

or shine!

This will be after our 9:15 a.m. worship service. We look forward

to seeing you.

PPRC Committee

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I am Will Ross, and I am the Interim Chair of our Church Council. I oversee all the various

committees that make up the administration and operation of St. Luke’s. I am happy and

proud to be able to contribute to this church family, that I am so happy to be a part of. I

have good news! The Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions are becoming relaxed. We have

started the planning on re-opening up our sanctuary.

We are also planning for our new paster. We are blowing off the dust, waking up and are

excited about being a great Christian influence in our community.

Due to the pandemic, many of our congregation have chosen to worship at home, instead of

joining us in our outdoor services. We understand, and respect that choice. But when we

reopen the sanctuary, we are inviting all of our congregation to rejoin our church family.

Become reacquainted with your brother and sisters in Christ and celebrate a new beginning

together.

Our sanctuary services will be able to accommodate our total congregation. Whatever you

may be concerned with, we have plans to address them. The final details and timing will be

coordinated with our new Pastor Christopher Lee Thompson.

You can expect emails and or calls from myself and our new pastor, inviting you to rejoin our

family.

Come and start a New Beginning together.

If you have any concerns, comments, questions, our just want to talk, feel free to reach out

to me.

Will Ross

Interim Council Chair

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Catch-Up Time (?)

Can you believe that we are at mid-year? While the sanctuary has

been closed, St. Luke's has remained active in serving the

community and you. Many of you have been faithful in “mailing in”

your tithes and offerings, (thank you) but we are falling behind

expenses at mid-year and need your ongoing support. Even if you haven't been active

for the last six months, the church still needs your offerings to cover the ongoing

expenses. We all look forward to celebrating getting together with a new Pastor and to

worship and enjoy the fellowship of St. Luke's.

Thank you for your support!

Rob Clark, Finance chair

Let's Celebrate: The congregation will soon be coming together; arrival of the new Pastor;

the end of isolation; and the presence of our Lord! It seems like forever getting to this point,

so let's all come together and embrace the moment. Welcome the Reverend Chris Thompson

as we begin a new era in the life of St. Luke's. It is time to come together and start the re-

building of our church as we put the pandemic behind us. I personally look forward to seeing

each of you again as we all work and pray together for better future. Truly a time to

celebrate!

Rob Clark, Financial chair

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NEW CHAPTER FOR ST. LUKE’S

Time marches on! Here we are - half way through the year. Before you know it, it will be

Christmas. As we are on the threshold of welcoming our new pastor this week, it will feel

like Christmas to me. I hope you share in my sentiment. Rev. Chris Thompson officially is

part of St. Luke’s UMC on Wednesday, June 30th at precisely noon.

Many churches in the Methodist community opt for pastoral change at this time of the

year. So there are no conflicts, all pastoral assignments to new churches happen

simultaneously at noon on the last day of June. This prevents overlap and confusion with

all concerned. Having said that, Chris and his family are undergoing their move to the

Lowcountry as I write. The same is happening with Brian and Joy as they trek north to

Mullins, SC for their new assignment.

Our church council will be meeting with Chris July 1st for the very first time. This will be

partly a meet and greet session coupled with some brainstorming for opening the

sanctuary for normal Sunday worship. Hopefully we can resume normal operations sooner

rather than later. As we welcome the assignment of our new pastor, remember also that

he is as anxious as we are for this new chapter to begin at St. Luke’s. Chris comes to us

with a fresh outlook and an over abundance of enthusiasm. He’s very excited to be here.

Good luck Chris in the many challenges and opportunities that await you! We are here to

help!

See you in church, Ron Pozsonyi, Lay Leader

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During the Pandemic, several of our members began

volunteering to send cards out to nursing homes, assisted

living, etc. This ministry has been so well received; we have

continued it.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

It has come to my attention that many may not know we provide this ministry. This group

is not The Sunshine Ladies. They are doing their own magnificent job keeping up with all

the contacts our church provides. This group simply supplies some cards once a month to a

nursing home or assisted living facility and sometimes including independent living

facilities.

Sometimes we wind up with a much smaller group due to illness, surgeries, traveling, etc;

so the purpose of this email is to see if any newcomers would be interested in joining our

group. If you have a month when you cannot participate, that is no problem, you just let

me know.

Here is how we work it: Near the beginning of a month (generally the last week of the

previous month), I pick a facility, or anyone can ask to include a facility. We get a head

count and I send out an email dividing the total number of residents up. You always have at

least 3 weeks to work on these cards. They should be very simple. We are just telling them

that "someone at St. Lukes is praying for them", or something of that nature. Also, the

Dollar Store has some adorable cards grouped by 6 or 8 for just $1.00!

When you are done with your cards, I can make arrangements to pick them up from you.

Please give me a call if you would be interested in helping out. My number is

843.540.1448 Or you may email me at judisells4u@aol.com.

Thank you so much for taking time to consider this Ministry. May you all be well.

Judi Landin

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HISTORY CORNER

We recently celebrated the newest of our national holidays—Juneteenth

National Independence Day―historically known as Jubilee Day,

Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and

Black Independence Day, a holiday to

commemorate the emancipation of

enslaved African Americans. During the American Civil War, emancipation came at

different times to various places in the Southern United States. Large celebrations of

emancipation, often called Jubilees (recalling the biblical Jubilees in which slaves were

released) occurred when a place received the news that slaves had been freed. Thus, dates

of the celebration varied―September 22, January 1, July 4, August 1, April 6, and

November 1, among other dates. Regardless of the date, African Americans created,

preserved, and spread a shared commemoration of slavery's wartime demise across the

United States. It has been celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the

anniversary of the June 19, 1865, announcement proclaiming and enforcing freedom of

enslaved people in Texas, the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.

So, it seems appropriate to look back at the history of the United Methodist Church,

particularly in South Carolina, and its views on slavery. I began by reading John Wesley’s

Thoughts on Slavery, an 83-page pamphlet published in London in 1773 (https://

docsouth.unc.edu/church/wesley/wesley.html).

It's an interesting pamphlet. Wesley examines the main discussion points debated during

his time:

1. Uses numerous examples documenting that slavery is barbarous and

dehumanizing.

2. Refutes the notion that slavery is an improvement to “rescued” Africans, using

examples from several major tribes and nations to prove his point.

3. After revealing the conditions of the slaves, Wesley questions whether the

system is defensible, "on the principles of even heathen honesty?" Human law,

in his estimation, is powerless to confer right without consideration of mercy

and justice

4. Denies that slavery is necessary to support the colonial economies, pointing out

that no benefit is worth any injustice made to receive it.

5. Urges those involved in the slave trade to quit the trade, using appeals ranging

from fear of God's judgement to pity for the Africans.

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(History cont’d…)

As I was thinking about this article, the summer 2021 publication of The Mark (United

Methodist Archives and Record Keepers) arrived. It focuses on a continuation of the

“heritage trail” in South Carolina which includes information about significant United

Methodist historical sites. You may recall that I discussed some in a previous newsletter.

The sites discussed in Summer 2021 The Mark provide insight into the African Americans’

experience worshiping in Methodist Church.

Charleston--Cumberland Church Site (Cumberland Street, City Parking Garage)

Cumberland Church was the first Methodist society in Charleston and was established in

1785. It was also the location of the first Annual Conference held in South Carolina in 1787.

The church had separate seating for white, free black, and enslaved African members.

Charleston citizens pelted the church with stones because the early Methodists preached

against slavery. The church was destroyed in the fire of 1838, rebuilt in but destroyed in

the Great Fire of 1861.

In 1792, the Cumberland Street Congregation purchased a lot on the corner of Pitt and

Boundary (now Calhoun) streets for a cemetery for the Methodists. White members were

buried in the front of the lot and black members at the rear. In 1797, a church, Bethel, was

built on Pitt Street. The new church was occupied and dedicated in 1798. The large increase

in black membership was accommodated by separate seating of white and free black

members on the main floor and enslaved members in the galleries. In 1803, a one-story

parsonage was built adjacent to the church—the first Methodist parsonage in South

Carolina.

Charleston—Old Bethel United Methodist Church

(624 Calhoun Street)

The original church building was moved to the rear of the

lot in 1851, and a spacious Greek restructure was

completed and dedicated in 1853. It speaks of wealth and

acceptance in the Old South, that the earlier white

Methodists could not imagine. At first it was referred to as

New Bethel and the building is still in use.

The building that is home to Old Bethel Church is the

original Bethel structure. This is perhaps the oldest

Methodist Church building in America south of Baltimore.

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After the Civil War, when majority of black

members of Bethel refused to remain a part of the

segregated congregation of the Methodist Episcopal

Church, South, they worshipped in the 1797 building

as a congregation of the newly established South

Carolina Missionary Conference of the Methodist

Episcopal Church. The white congregation gave “Old

Bethel” to the mostly black congregation in 1876 and

in 1882 the church was moved across Calhoun Street

where in remains today. The classical portico and

columns reflect the new status that black Methodists

hoped for in the post-Civil War South before the full

backlash of the era of segregation.

There are other sites, but they will have to wait

until August’s newsletter. Stay tuned!

Blessings,

Pam Hoel

(History cont’d…)

LET ME TAKE YOUR PHOTO! If you are attending St. Luke’s United

Methodist Church, we would like to have you in our Photo Directory. We

include visitors as well as members!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF ST. LUKE’S Please ask or email Pat

Simmons for an “Invitation to Membership” form. Fill it out, bring it back and

someone will get in touch with you. patsimmonsperdue@gmail.com

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FIRST SUNDAY & THIRD MONDAY FOOD MISSION DRIVE IN JUNE

The First Sunday Food Mission Drive is under the leadership of Rick Hoel, Missions

Chair. If you have any questions regarding Missions and the Food Bank in particular,

please contact him at 843.295.9002 or rickhoel12@gmail.com

Helping to feed the hungry is an important mission of St. Luke's. As you

know we expanded our efforts to include two drop offs to provide more

opportunities for those not attending Sunday services to participate and

for those who can donate more. In addition to our regular drop off on the

first Sunday of the month, we added a drop off on the third Monday of the month. Thus

far this expanded effort has proven to be very successful, reflecting the generosity of

our congregation.

Specifically, for July 2021, please drop off your contributions in the back-parking lot

at the church on Sunday, July 4th. We will be loading before and after the service. You

can now also drop off at the church on the third Monday of the month, July 19th from

9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Your contributions are vital as the community needs are extreme due

to the pandemic. Feeding the hungry is truly part of us doing God's Work!

PLEASE help us with our FIRST SUNDAY and THIRD MONDAY FOOD MISSION DRIVES

for our local food pantry, Bluffton Self Help. PLEASE help us stock the pantry with the

most desired/requested items.

These include:

cereal – Cheerios preferred, instant grits/oatmeal,

peanut butter, jelly, dried pasta, pasta sauce,

boxed or bagged dinner mixes such as Hamburger Helper, Beefaroni, etc., dried beans,

and rice.

Also needed are recycled shopping bags & diapers (sizes 4, 5 & 6) and toilet paper.

Unfortunately, we can’t accept any open, expired or damaged items.

In case of rain and church services are cancelled on July 4th, we will be at the church

parking lot on Monday, July 5h from 9:00 – 10:00 AM. Please remember to show your

willingness to be of service by signing up to deliver the food donations for an upcoming

month.

—Thank you. Rick Hoel, Mission chair

843.395.9002

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June 27, 2021—Farewell to Rev. Brian & Joy Preveaux

The honored couple Some attendees at the outdoor worship service.

The “goodie” table Enjoying the goodies & fellowship!

John Hubbard told a story about an

oyster roast they had with the

Preveaux’s… It seems like they

were missing a bag of oysters

when the evening was over… John

said Brian never left the oyster

table… He told Brian they were

missing a bag and Brian confirmed

that they were probably in his

stomach! John then presented

Brian with a painting they had a

friend do to remember the

occasion!

Marilyn presented our card & gift. Ron presented him with

“his” sign! Page

More photos...

Dear St. Luke’s UMC,

Once again, our hearts are full of awe of the appreciation and support you showed us on our last Sunday with you. We are very thankful for the loving cards and gifts you gave along with the lovely reception.

As stated last Sunday, it is time for us to follow Christ for new ministries in another community. It comes with sadness but also with happiness leaving one church family for another. Our prayers will always be for St. Luke’s UMC to continue listening for God’s guidance and calling for the mission to be fulfilled.

May blessings be in abundance to each of you. Thank you for supporting and loving us as a part of your family!

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Brian and Mrs. Joy Preveaux

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You will notice that the list no longer includes

the reason for prayer, due to HIPPA

regulations. Please email Amy Erickson at

amyhousererickson@gmail.com with any

prayer requests you may have. If you have

loved ones who have been blessed by recovery,

peace or grace and may be removed from the

list, please provide that information to Amy

as well.

Let us remember with cards, and prayers…

CHURCH MEMBERS

Bob Lee and Sherry Lee: 7 Becket Place,

Bluffton 29909 Marcia Garner, 3 Devant Lane, Bluffton 29909

Sherry & Rob Clark, 50 Star Flower Dr,

Bluffton 29909

Linda Batten, 17 Alston Bay, Bluffton 29909 Verna Crosby, 71 Pepper Hall Plantation,

Bluffton 29909

Russell Smith, 17 Cypress Run, Bluffton 29909

CHURCH MEMBERS IN NURSING HOMES, ASSISTED LIVING OR HOMEBOUND

Elnora Ekholm, 173 May River Rd.,

Bluffton 29910 Jane Slayton, NHC 3039 Okatie Hwy. Rm. 331

Okatie 29909; Tel: 843-705-1319

Jane and Jerry Wick, 2 Devant Court,

Bluffton 29909

June Hamilton, 4 Concession Oak Dr., Bluffton 29909

FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF MEMBERS

Roland and Vivian Smith, 297 Landing

Lane, Bluffton 29909

Hannah Nystrom, friend of Marie & John Baldauf

Hugh and Sue Ross, brother &

sister-in-law of Will Ross

Health care workers Our nation and government

Brooke Hamilton Pittet & family, niece

and family of Walker and Diana

Hamilton

Sister and brother-in-law of Myree Flannigan

Andrew and 3 daughters, son &

granddaughters of Mary Buzzie

Charlene Cooler, sister of Ouida Dell Carol, Lois Finch’s daughter

The Russell Family, friends of the

Hamilton’s

Police officers CJ Smyly, mother of Joy Preveaux

Michele, sister of Nancy Sariscak

Andrew, son of Mary and Jim Buzzie

Heather, friend of Addie Bobbitt

Marge, sister-in-law of Mickey Ewing Paulette, sister-in-law of

Nancy Sariscak

Sharon, friend of Nancy Sariscak

Friend of Elaine Stermer Christine Zimmerman, sister-in-law of

Will Ros

Nation of Israel

Sue Vagnier, wife of Jerry Vagnier’s

Nephew Gary Landin, husband of Judi Landin

Families affected by the condo collapse

In Florida

PRAISES

Happy Birthday to Verna Crosby Thanks to Dottie Apgar for playing the keyboard in Geoff’s absence Praise for a beautiful morning Praise that Nancy Sariscak’s sister, Michele worshiped with us on Sunday

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JULY - Birthdays

06 Diana Hamilton

03 Karen Robinson

07 John Baldauf

07 Russell Smith

11 Carol Conway

12 Elizabeth Vance

12 Reece Woods

18 Don Leonard*

19 Will Ross

20 Anita Leming*

21 Andy Beall

21 Gail Rogers

22 Bill Harting

23 Paul LoMonaco

23 Jim Seymore

26 Lois Finch

JULY -Anniversaries

01 Chuck & Judy Watts

06 Sheryll Ingram & Bill Halstead

20 Doris & Bob Heck

25 Beth & Bob Peters

25 Pam & Rick Hoel

27 Elizabeth & Archie Vance

*Change of Addresses:

David & Anita Leming 113 Cheshire Dr. Griffin, GA 30223

Don Leonard

2994 Meadowlark Way Gaylord MI 49735

Larry Kellogg 231 Paoli Pointe Drive Paoli PA 19301

Brian & Joy Preveaux 107 Church Street Mullins SC 29574-2803

SUNDAY MORNINGS

Thank you for “mailing” your donations!

The mailing address is: St. Luke’s UMC PO Box 2779 Bluffton SC 29910

OR WATCH “ON-LINE” AT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL—St. Luke’s UMC YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj_gXL78wJ24jkL6HMBp02g

AUGUST- Birthdays 02 Larry Kellogg* 03 Ron Pozsonyi 04 Geoff Borgelt

04 Archie Vance 06 Harry Skinker 20 Sherry Lee 21 Letty Husson 23 Leslie Richards 24 Pat Schwartz-Ross 27 Bob Lee 28 David Leming*

AUGUST -Anniversaries

09 Bill & Angie Harting

15 Norm & Shirley Stark

19 Jim & Jane Seymore

19 Wally & Lois Willig

20 Laura & Andy Beall

24 Rob & Sherry Clark

Please join us on July 4th at 9:15 a.m.

in the back lot for worship as we

welcome our new Pastor, Rev. Chris

Thompson.

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The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal

holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day

celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd,

1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later

delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic

document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been

celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging

from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

The Fourth of July 2021 is on Sunday, July 4, 2021; the federal holiday will be observed on

Monday, July 5, 2021.

Early Fourth of July Celebrations

In the pre-Revolutionary years, colonists had held annual celebrations of the

king’s birthday, which traditionally included the ringing of bells, bonfires,

processions and speechmaking. By contrast, during the summer of 1776 some

colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding mock funerals for

King George III as a way of symbolizing the end of the monarchy ’s hold on America

and the triumph of liberty.

Festivities including concerts, bonfires, parades and the firing of cannons and

muskets usually accompanied the first public readings of the Declaration of

Independence, beginning immediately after its adoption. Philadelphia held the

first annual commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777, while Congress was

still occupied with the ongoing war.

George Washington issued double rations of rum to all his soldiers to mark the

anniversary of independence in 1778, and in 1781, several months before the key

American victory at the Battle of Yorktown, Massachusetts became the first state

to make July 4th an official state holiday.

Did you know? John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date on which to celebrate the birth of American independence, and would reportedly turn down invitations to appear at July 4th events in protest. Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.