The Lamplighter   of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church

January 2020

SERVING GOD THROUGH

SERVING OTHERS

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” -Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds (Borrowed from Ecclesiastes chapter 3)

In the ten years I have been the Pastor of Saint Luke’s, I have probably preached more sermons on this text than any other. Often at funerals families will request this passage to celebrate the life of the one they love. We know that life runs in seasons and that sometimes those seasons feel burdensome. The hope and promise is that the world is always turning and God is at work renewing His creation. At the beginning of the New Year I think about the season of the church. In the last year we have begun to take seriously the challenge of reaching out to our neighbors through evangelism and our first mission trip. God keeps calling us forward. I am sure that there will be challenges, but our purpose as God’s children remains steadfast. We respond to the grace that God has given us and share that with the world. I pray that you feel new life and growth as we minister together in Christ. God’s peace, Pastor Jason Schafer

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Contact us: Editor: Elizabeth Vassar Church Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:00 am-1:00 pm Office closed on Fridays Phone: 803-364-4093 Fax: 803-364-5150 Email: secretary@stlukesprosperity.com

Sunday Services: Sunday School 9:30 am Worship Service 10:30 am

Volunteers’ schedule p.3 Prayers needed 4 January Reminders 5 The New Horizon 7 Calendar of events 8-9 Announcements 10

Puzzle 11 Thank you notes 12

Financial Report 15

Visit us online at: www.stlukesprosperity.com

Table of Contents

2020 Contribution Envelopes are available for pick up on the back pew of the sanctuary. The Barbara Richardson Circle will meet Saturday, Jan. 4, at 7:00 p.m. at the DuBose residence. Stoney Hill Center will meet Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m. The Essie Hawkins Circle will meet Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 10:00 a.m. in the assembly room.

Council members will meet Sunday, Jan. 12, at 6:00 p.m. The GALS Group will meet Monday, Jan. 13, at 10:00 a.m. in the assembly room. All widows are welcomed to join us. Thomas Suber Circle will meet Monday, Jan 13, at 7:30 p.m. Lutheran Men in Mission will meet Monday, Jan 13, at 7:30 p.m. The School of Religion will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 14 and again on Tuesday Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church. New Horizons will meet Saturday, Jan. 18, at 3:00 p.m. in the new Fellowship Hall. The program is to be determined.

Church Directory Updates: Please take a few minutes and review the church directory to make sure all information is current. The directory will be in the narthex for the next few weeks. You may make changes directly on the pages as needed or call the office. All information to be included in the 2020 year-book is due in the office no later than Satur-day, Feb. 29. This includes all committee information (members, chairperson, end of year reports, ect.). Thank you!

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JANUARY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS   Jan. 5 (Communion Service)  Jan. 12 

Acolytes   Kayley Minick  & Avery DuBose  Ella  Schafer & Zachary Hunter 

Crucifer  Savannah Lever  Andrew Green 

Church Closing  Jeffrey Turner  Kenneth Shealy 

Greeters  Ruthie Boozer & Linda Sheppard  Do e Fulmer & Abigail Holland 

Lectors  David Millsaps  Becky Pugh 

Altar Flowers  Margaret Koon and Family  Martha Pugh 

Altar Guild  

Randy & Judy Nobles  Mitchell & Harrie  Connelly &  Wanda Crotwell 

Ushers  Tim Connelly, Charles Fulmer, Harold McGaha and Chelsey Minick 

Michael Fulmer, Mickey Fulmer, Bert Lucas and Russell Hendrix 

Nursery  Daphne & Avery DuBose  Carla Livingston & Ella Schafer 

  Jan. 19  Jan. 26 

Acolytes   Will Hawkins & Carson Cockrell  Julia Eargle & Eliza McManus 

Crucifer  Payton Gardner  Michael Fulmer 

Church Closing  Alvin Connelly  Mike Hawkins 

Greeters  Maria Millsaps & Nancy Rumchak  Reggie & Sheila Beckham 

Nursery  Dana & Gracen Green  Susan Chariker & Sarah Cockrell 

Lectors  James Ballantyne  John W. Pugh 

Altar Flowers  Sylvia Moore  Linda Sheppard, Kara Sheppard and Janna  Felker 

Altar Guild  Joe & Linda Kunkle  Faye Shealy & Deann McManus 

Ushers  Joe Boozer, Russell Kunkle, Steven Lake and Lee Livingston 

Reggie Beckham, Andrew Green, Jody Green and Joey Long 

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David Boland* Margaret Boozer* Jacob Bundrick Sherry Dominick Kerry Franklin* Faye Hawkins Blake Hendrix* Ricky Jones*

A reminder: Names will stay on the

prayer list up to four weeks unless the office is notified

otherwise. Thank you.

Peggy Killian Shirley McRacken Marcos Millan* Calvin Morris Daisy Morris Larry Morris Jane Pitts

Linda Pitts Shelvie Shealy Brandon Shives* Jeff Singley Howard Smith* Scott Wyllie*

Nursing Home

Carol Brandt (Saluda Nursing Center) Pastor Henry Brandt (Clinton Presbyterian Community)

Jacob Bundrick (Lowman Home) Myra Sue Chapman (Louisa Health & Rehab, VA)

Susan Connelly (White Oak Manor) Alberta Dominick (White Oak Manor)

Faye Long (Springfield Place) Barry Sebaugh (Springfield Place)

Billie Shealy (Springfield Place) Alma Staub (LMC Extended Care, Lexington)

All care givers and others who have experienced pain, disappointment, anger, and grief in this congrega-tion and elsewhere, our prayers are with you all.

Congregational sympathy is expressed to the family of Hayne Boozer, 75, of Greenwood, SC. He died on Saturday, December 7, 2019. Funeral services were held at on Dec. 11, 2019, at Blythe Funeral Home Chapel. Memorials may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Ave, Greenwood, SC 29646.

“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.” -Anne Frank

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1 Scottie Hawkins Daisy Morris Colson Enlow 4 Allison Hunter 5 Susan Chariker Ethan Hunter 8 Rachel Turner Hayden Jacob 9 Quentin Hawkins 10 Garen Williams 10 Makenzie Nichols Makayla Nichols 12 Christopher Justice 16 Billy Pitts 17 Taylyn Rosenberg 18 Vickie Zobel 19 Linda Sheppard 20 Jacob Bundrick 22 Sharon Burdette Matthew Cousins Gary Lee Harmon Ashley Pugh Weaver Janice Lake 25 Larry Lake Debra Beard 26 Andrew Davis Green 28 Calvin Morris Myra Sue Chapman Russell Hendrix 29 Thomas Dorroh Gina Stroud 31 Brenda Clapp

1 Edward and Susan Chariker 6 Jim* and Nancy Rumchak 12 Wayne and Delores Nichols 22 Ben and Paula Hammett 23 Joe and Linda Kunkle 24 Adam and Ashley Roberts 27 Dusty and Emma Brody

Payton Gardner was delegated Student of the Week at Newberry Academy by the Athletic De-partment. He averaged 25 points and 9 re-bounds through 4 games! Ingrid Cassada received her nursing pin on Dec. 11 and graduated from Piedmont Technical Col-lege—Greenwood Campus on Dec. 12. She will be taking the NCLEX before the start of the New Year. Jerran Long has been appointed to the All-State Chorus.

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December’s Gathering

What a better way to enjoy the holidays than to gather with friends and go to a Christ-mas Pageant to hear the story of Jesus through word and music. On Saturday, Dec. 14th, the New Horizon members and friends did just that with a trip to the First Baptist Church in Columbia. Our leader, Catherine Boozer, welcomed everyone. Harold McGaha led the group in devotions from the familiar and inspiring scripture about how Mary learned she would be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). Closing in prayer. Before leaving for our trip, our bus driver, Mike Hawkins, stated that we should be thankful to the Lord for such a beautiful December day. He recalled making the same statement one Sunday when Ronald Boozer added “Yes, but just a little breezy!” The title of the First Baptist Church’s 32nd Annual Christmas Pageant was “Merry Christmas from Wilderness World”. The church was beautifully decorated for the Christmas Season and appropriately decorated for the presentation. Words cannot de-scribe the music and how the story of Jesus’ birth to his resurrection was presented. The hundreds of performers and the behind-the-scenes workers did an amazing job! “The Hallelujah Chorus” was the last song sung and we, as well as everyone else in the church, could feel God’s great love for us. As the group was going to Cracker Barrel for our meal, members and friends with De-cember birthdays were remembered. They were Catherine Boozer, Edith Hite, Edna Stuck, Emily Lake, Martha Turner, Joe Kunkle, Alan Bickley and Mike Hawkins. Arriving back to St. Luke’s our hearts were filled with joy! May God bless your Christ-mas Season and may your New Year be filled with good health and happiness. Come join the fun with the New Horizon in 2020!

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Sunday Monday Tuesday

29 Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m.

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5 Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m. New Prayer Group “Taste & See” Following service

6 Epiphany

7 Students Back to School Essie Hawkins Circle 10:00 a.m. Stoney Hill Center 7:30 p.m.

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12 Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m. New Prayer Group “Taste & See” Following service Council Meeting 6:00 p.m.

13 G.A.L.S. 10:00 a.m.

14 School of Religion 6:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church

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19 Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m.

20 21 School of Religion 6:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church

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26 Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 10:30 a.m.

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28 29

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Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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4 Barbara Richardson

Circle 7:00 p.m. at the DuBose Residence

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10 11

15 16 17 LCY Snow Tubing

18 New Horizons 3:00 p.m.

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The new year is an opportunity to sort out the useless tasks and plan for the important; to review the failures and resolve to be successful; to take an inventory of causes and pledge life to purpose and service. These being done, the new will truly be new, differ-ent and better. —C. Neil Strait

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Please allow me a moment of your time so that I may introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth Vassar, and I was recently hired to be the Secretary here at St. Luke’s. Although I know that Donna will be greatly missed by everyone, with her training and my dedication to seeing a job well done, I hope to meet the needs of the church with kindness and compassion. I am the mother of two pre-teen daughters and they always keep me on my toes. We have lived in Newberry for going on two years and we love it here. Having most recently come from a metro area, we realize now that our lives were lacking the safety and camaraderie that can only be found in small town living. It truly does take a village! My door is always open and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you. Thank you for allowing me to become a part of such a glorious community. -Elizabeth

2020 Contribution Envelopes are available for pick up on the back pew of the sanctuary. Children’s Sunday School Class participated in worship on Dec. 8 and then got to ride in the cutest of all floats at the Prosperity Christmas Parade.

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“The Wise Men”

Oh, we have learnt to peer and pore On tortured puzzles from our youth, We know all labyrinthine lore, We are the three wise men of yore, And we know all things but the truth. … Go humbly, humble are the skies, And low and large and fierce the star; So very near the manger lies That we may travel far. Hark! Laughter like a lion wakes To roar to the resounding plain. And the whole heaven shouts and shakes, For God himself is born again. … —G.K. Chesterton

There are two ways of remembering. One is to make an excursion from the living present back into the dead past. The other way is to summon the dead past back into the living present. … When Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” (1 Corinthians 11:24), he was not prescrib-ing a periodic slug of nostalgia. —Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking

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Thanks to the generosity of our caring church family and other community friends, our 2019 Toy and Clothes Drive was again a success! There were 339 toys collected! Thanks to all of you, numerous chil-dren in our community were able to open their eyes on Christmas morning and witness first hand the magic of the season and feel God’s love upon them.

—-The Lutheran Men in Mission of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church

Thank you to all who contributed Manna House items this past month. We collected 30 red bags containing 180 items. Please con-tinue to support this project for those in our community who are less fortunate. Thank you!

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Of all persons, the Christian should be best prepared for whatever the New Year brings. … In Christ he has disposed of a thousand enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared. He can face his to-morrow cheerful and unafraid because yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and today he lives in God. The man who has made God his dwell-ing place will always have a safe habitation. —A.W. Tozer

How to find peace

Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what his will is. —Amy Carmichael

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God’s Promised Spring

Like winter, some seasons of our faith jour-ney feel cold, barren, devoid of life. Will renewal ever come? Will spring flourish

again in our heart? Yet the world bears wit-ness to God’s power to bring new life

where all seems lost.

In the early 1990s, the St. Louis neighbor-hood of South City deteriorated sharply due to a stagnant economy, population decline and crime. Then Bosnian refugees started

settling there. Thousands of people renovat-ed abandoned houses and other buildings; they started businesses and brought skilled labor back to the neighborhood. As the area

returned to life, the refugees experienced renewal, too - hope in place of discourage-ment, opportunities where none had exist-

ed, peace instead of war, life replacing death.

When our faith is challenged by despair, lost dreams or an uncertain future - when

God’s promises feel as dead as winter - real-life renewal stories are signs of spring.

They testify to the resurrection God has in

Begin anew

Every morning lean thine arms awhile

Upon the windowsill

of heaven

And gaze upon thy Lord.

Then, with the vision in thy heart, Turn strong to meet thy day.

—Thomas Blake

A Sacred Partnership Bible scholar William Barclay notes that John the Baptist was “startled and unwilling” when Jesus asked to be baptized. The evangelist thought he needed what Jesus could give, not the reverse! We are pros at taking our needs to God — indeed he invites this: “Call on me in the day of trouble” (Psalm 50:15). But God also comes to us with needs: “Mortal, I am sending you” (Ezekiel 2:3, NRSV); “Go ... make disciples” (Matthew 28:19); “Carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2, NIV). Apparently, God prefers partnership to acting solo. From the beginning, God has invited people to name the animals, tend the garden, welcome strangers, build the tabernacle, proclaim his word, ensure justice and mercy, share his love. What does God need from you, as Jesus needed bap-tism from John? Salvation is God’s alone to accom-plish, but then he calls us to share work with him, for the world’s sake. So we echo Jesus: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this” (Matthew 3:15, NIV). —Heidi Mann

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Worship Trends

Attendance General Fund Operating Operating Expense Only

Nov. 17 151 $4,169.50 $ 295.00 Nov. 24 162 $3,020.00 $ 615.00 Dec. 1 149 $3,785.00 $ 440.00 Dec. 8 181 $4,546.00 $ 410.00 Dec. 15 204 TBA TBA Dec. 22 TBA TBA TBA Dec. 29 TBA TBA TBA Dec. 1st Sunday offering for future capital projects, $438.80 Offering needed weekly to meet 2020 budget: $5,203.98 For simplicity, please do not combine donations to multiple funds (I.e. General and Fellowship Hall) on the same check. Write a separate check for each fund and remember to include your offering number on each check as they get separated in processing. We are grateful for your ongoing support! As a reminder, the Operating Expense Only fund was established in 2010 to allow those who desire to do so, the ability to designate their offerings solely for the operating funds of St. Luke’s, including expenses such as utilities, repairs, maintenance, insurance and lawn care. No portion of OEO funds is used to pay the congregation’s yearly apportionment for the synod or ECLA, nor are the funds accounted for in determining the appointment amount for the congre-gation. If you have any questions about the fund, please see Treasurer, Dana Green, or council chair, Wanda Crotwell.

General Funds: November 2019

Income Needed to Cover Budget Year to Date: $ 248,056.22 (** assuming 1/12 of budget spent each month**) Budget Received to Date General Fund $ 210,596.51 Operating Expense Only Fund $ 23,919.00 Total Budget Received to Date: $ 234,515.51 Disbursed to Date General Fund $ 194,875.77 Operating Expense Only $ 26,020.11 Total Budget Disbursed to Date: $ 220,895.88 Balance General Fund 12/31/2018 $ 73,943.20 Balance General Fund 11/30/2019 $ 89,663.94

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