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The L

amplighter

Saint Luke’s L

utheran Church

4056 St. Luke’s C

hurch Road

Prosperity, South Carolina 29127

Non Profit O

rganization U

.S. Postage Paid Prosperity, S.C

. 29127 Perm

it No. 4

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The Lamplighter   of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church

October 2014  

13 This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of his Spirit.14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. 1 John 1:13-16 The words of First John are powerful and remind me of the promise that we have been given of God’s great love for us and this world. Last month a new group of confirmation students began their classes here at Saint Luke’s. Within the first few classes we began to discuss one of the key as-pects of our faith. The concept of Grace. A simple definition may be, God’s great love for a world that does not deserve it. This love lays claim to us, causes us to ask for and receive forgiveness, and be reminded of our role as workers in God’s Kingdom. Those of us in church know that this love has changed us. As John writes, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us”. This gift of grace is present in our life and causes us to live differently. As people of God we know this love is what guides us and helps to give our lives purpose. Each October we mark the beginnings of our church at reformation day. Almost 500 years later the love that he has pointed out to us contin-ues to guide and ground our lives. I pray that as a congregation we help each other and the community around us learn to more fully rely on God’s Love. God’s Peace Pastor Jason Schafer

The Lamplighter St. Luke’s Lutheran Church 4056 St. Luke’s Church Road Prosperity, SC 29127 Phone: 803-364-4093 Fax: 803-364-5150 Email: secretary@stlukesprosperity.com

OCTOBER SERVICE VOLUNTEERS

SERVING GOD THROUGH

SERVING OTHERS

www.stlukesprosperity.com Editor: Donna Eustace Church Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m. Sunday Services: Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Worship Service 11:00 a.m.

October 5 October 12 Acolytes Savannah Lever& Alex Lake Makayla Nichols & Makenzie Nichols

Crucifer Brianna Kinard Grant Mays

Closing the Church Ronald Boozer George Hawkins

Greeters Bernice Connelly & Betty Dominick Nelva Kunkle & Mike Hawkins

Lectors John W. Pugh Sandra Lewis Altar Flowers Nancy Singley, Heather Clevenger,

& Betty Huggin George & Faye Hawkins

Altar Guild Mitchel & Harriett Connelly & Wanda Crotwell Joe Kunkle & Brenda Smith

Ushers Tim Connelly Chesley Minick Casey McCarty Evan Pitts

Penny Ballantyne Russell Hendrix Joe Boozer Fred Kesler

Children's Church will resume the first Sunday in September. Children 3 years old through 2nd grade can participate. The children will go down to children's church after the children's sermon.

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Worship Trends

Attendance General Fund Operating Operating Expense Only

July 20 49 + 122 $5,391.50 $ 693.00

July 27 61 + 122 $2,202.50 $ 275.00

Aug. 3 35 + 133 $4,957.00 $1000.00

Aug. 10 58 + 146 $4,051.25 $ 405.00

Aug. 17 171 $2,834.75 $ 350.00

Aug. 24 196 TBA TBA

Aug. 31 TBA TBA TBA

Offering needed weekly to meet 2014 budget: $4,607.00. For simplicity for our volunteer counters and our treasurer, 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!

Financial Report General Funds

July 2014

Budget Needed to Date (if 1/12 of budget spent each month) $139,750.92

Budget Received to Date $109,784.48 Doesn’t include YTD OEO receipts of $17,405.00

Disbursed $117,821.28 Doesn’t include YTD OEO disburse-ments of $17,283.00

Balance General Fund 12/31/2013 $42,396.24

Balance General Fund 07/31/2014 $34,359.44

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Greetings in the name of Christ, I am writing to invite you to a celebration of ministry for Pastor Pierce Evans. After serving as our Visitation Pastor for six years, Pierce has decided it is time to fully enjoy his retirement. While serving here at Saint Luke’s, Pierce has been present with many in this congregation by providing pastoral care in homes and hospitals and giving us a faithful presence that reminds us of God at work in our lives. As your Pastor it has truly been a blessing to work beside Pierce. We are plan-ning a celebratory drop-in on Sunday, September 28th in the Fellowship Hall from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Please join us as we recognize Pierce and the impact that he has had on this congregation. We will be collecting an offering to give as a sign of our thanks for his service. If you would like to contribute, please mail or bring your gift to the church office and des-ignate it, “Pastor Evans”. Thank You Pastor Jason Schafer

Thank You For all the times you walked with me And gently held my hand, The times you stopped to answer why, To help me learn and understand. Each time I fall or stumble, you Reach out to me and lift me up to stand. You are there in good times, Even though I forget to thank you. You are there in bad times, To pick me up and see me through. Thank you Pastor for being there To make each day brand new.

by Judy Crowe 14

October 19 (Golden Age) October 26 (Reformation) Jarren Long & Andrew Green Marc Hunter & Avery DuBose

Justin Lever Aubrey Richardson

Jody Green Steven Lake

Becky Kinard & Linda Kunkle Penny Ballantyne & Rose Brandt

Andy Hawkins Michelle Long Byron Carr Maria & David Millsaps

Faye & Junior Shealy & Deann McManus Neal Lester & Laura & Adam Lester

Steven Lake Russell Kunkle Lee Livingston Mickey Fulmer

Andrew Green Jody Green Reggie Beckham Joey Long

* If you are unable to serve on your designated Sunday, please get a person to serve on this date in your place or swap with someone.

SEPTEMBER SERVICE VOLUNTEERS

Mark your calendar: St. Luke’s will have a Country Fried Steak Supper on Saturday, October 11. The menu will consist of steak, rice, gravy, slaw, bread and pickle. You can eat-in or take-out from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Cost is $ 8.00 per plate. Bake sale items will also be available. All monies raised will go toward ongoing church projects. For tickets, please contact Cheryl Lucas at 364-3442.

Notice of Congregational Meeting: The annual meeting to approve the 2015 budget and elect 5 new council members will be held on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 at the 11:00 a.m. service.

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Oct 2. Danielle Lester Pat Arehart Oct 3 Brittany Dorroh Oct 5 Tanner Burdette G. W. Dominick Oct 6 Mickey Stroud Oct 7 Joe Boozer Jackie Stroud Oct 9 Priscilla Hunter Shawn Hunter Oct 10 Faye Shealy Jennifer Slice Oct 12 Adam Lester Dee Dee Peel Oct 13 Alana Eargle Oct 15 Peggy Killian Amy Baker Oct 16 Jeffery Lever Mackenzie Crotwell Oct 17 Charlene Pitts Tommy Nichols Oct 18 Savannah Lever Oct 19 Elise Mills Justin Lever Byron Carr Oct 20 Karen Steele Oct 21 David Eargle Chase Minick Oct 22 Calen McManus Oct 24 Andrew Connelly Oct 28 Laurie Lominack Oct 29 Wayne Sheppard Gordon Minick Grant Mays

Happy Birthday Everyone!

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Oct 2 Kevin & Brittany Dorroh Oct 8 Jody & Dana Green Oct 9 George & Faye Hawkins Oct 17 Dale & Linda Bratton

Happy Anniversary!

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church recently held their annual Blessing of the Backpacks on Sunday, August 17, 2014 Many children, teachers, school staff and workers were

blessed for the new school year. Bless all who teach and learn, Lord, today and every day.

The Joy of Teaching

What an awesome job I’ve got, to nurture these dear precious tots and help them know their lives were bought when Jesus gave his blood and sought to save the soul of every tot. What an awesome job I’ve got, to share the gospel with these tots and plant in them with every thought the prize of heaven Jesus brought to save the soul of every tot. What an awesome job I’ve got, to teach against the devil’s plot and amplify what Jesus taught and glorify what God has wrought to save the soul of every tot!

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NEW MEMBERS INTO THE LIFE

AND MINISTRY OF THIS CONGREGATION

August 10, 2014

Randy and Paulette Gobel (right) have come to our congregation

from St. Michael’s Church in Charleston, SC.

Maureen Bates (left) has come to our congregation from First United

Methodist Church in Burlington, VT.

On Sunday, July 27, 2014, Mark Matthew Cousins, son of Matthew and Emily Cousins, was received into the family and fellowship of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church by Holy Baptism. He was born on June 24, 2014 at 9:17 p.m. He was 8 lbs. 3 oz and was 21 inches long. The proud grandparents are Mike and Lynn Cousins and Susan and Shawn Gaunt.

We welcome them to our Christian fellowship and church family!

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NursingHome

Hattie Boozer (Springfield Place) Carol Brandt (Saluda Nursing Center)

Jacob Bundrick (Lowman Home) Ossian Higgins (White Oak Manor)

Narves Lindler (White Oak Manor) Dezaree Morris (White Oak Manor) 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.

Congratulations to Shawn and Cynthia Kemp Hunter

who were married at St. Luke’s on Saturday, August 23, 2014

Congregational sympathy is expressed to Helen Beebe and the family of Robert Beebe (82) of Prosperity. He died Friday, August 15, 2014 at home. Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church by Rev. Jason Schafer. Burial followed in the St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 4056 St. Luke’s Church Road, Prosperity, SC 29127.

George Hawkins Monty Hawkins Victor Holland Jenny Huneycutt* David Lake* Kenneth Lake Lee Lewis* Dot Merchant*

Christine Arehart* Philip Bedenbaugh Clay Beck* Jonathan Bickley Colton Burdette Teddy Coleman* Belton Dennis Tracy Fulmer Anne Hawkins

Donnelle Minick Tom Perry* Patsy Sligh* Howard Smith* Reva S. Smith* Joe Ursy Lee Wicker* *Family/Friends

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Congregational sympathy is expressed to the family of: ...Mildred Hipp Hunter Chapman (94) of Newberry. She died Saturday, July 26, 2014 at home. Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 30 at Central United Methodist Church. ...Docia Mae West (91). She died Thursday, July 24, 2014 at Generations of Chapin. Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, July 26th at Corinth Lutheran Church. Special condolences to her granddaughter, Daphne DuBose. ... Frances Ellison Cooper (85) of Prosperity. She died Monday, July 28, 2014 at her residence. Funeral services were held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1st in the McSwain-Evans Funeral Home Chapel. Special condolences to her granddaughter, Carla Liv-ingston. ...Sue Ellen Wicker Payne (66) of Newberry. She died Friday, August 15, 2014 at home. Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, August 18 at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church. Special condolences to her aunt, Christine Dennis, and cousin, Harriett Kesler.

I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above the other and that the taller we grew in Christian character, the more easily we should reach them. I find now that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath the other and that it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping low-er, and that we have to go down, always down, to get his best gifts. —F.B. Meyer

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Pastor Greg Moore, Ministries Coordinator

“Moore’s Musings and Ministry Moments” Local Service Project Task Force meeting will be Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 7:15 p.m., in confirmation classroom. We will be discussing wheelchair ramp projects and our Manna House Tote Bag ministry. Christian Fellowship and Outreach Group will meet Monday, Sept. 8, at 7:00 p.m. in confirmation classroom. We will be planning Homecoming in Oct., the St. Luke’s booth at Newberry Oktoberfest, stewardship of time and talents focus in Nov., and St. Luke's location road signs. Cemetery committee will meet Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the confirmation classroom.

St. Luke's Booth Volunteers! Newberry Oktoberfest. Saturday, Oct. 4. We need volunteers to serve at our booth at Oktoberfest. We need 2 adults per time block. The event runs from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. with setup from 8-9:30 a.m. and break down from 5-6:00 p.m.. We are scheduling 1 hour blocks of time. We are making plans to share water bottles, a new St. Luke's infor-mation flyer, and have face painting at our booth. Please contact Pastor Greg at 803-348- 2537 canusa83@gmail.com if you are willing to serve

during 1 hour or more.

In Romans 1:20, St. Paul writes that God’s powers are on display for all people through creation. Humans, he reasons, should conclude there’s a God simply by observing. What does creation’s splendor and beauty reveal to us about God? Take a moment and stick your head out the window. It’s amazing how colorful creation is. God isn’t a boring God who sees only in black and white. He’s a God of beauty with an amazing imagination. God creates with a splash of joy. Every day this week, stop and ask, “What is God’s creation revealing to me about his charac-ter?” —Rev. Mike Paulson

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The G.A.L.S. group will meet in the assembly room on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 4:00 p.m. for a covered dish meal. Please note change of day and time for this meeting. The Sunday morning LMM will meet Sunday, September 7th at 8:30 a.m. Chad Hawkins will have the breakfast and Russell Hendrix will have the program. All men of the congregation are invited. Hope to see you there.

Please note the following change in both date and time: A required meeting for all youth group members and their parents will be Sunday, Sept. 14 right after worship service in the assembly room.

Essie Hawkins Circle will meet Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 10:00 a.m. in the assembly room. We will begin a new Bible Study, “Transforming Life and Faith”. In this study we will consider how our lives and our faith journeys are transformed by the events we experience and the people we meet. In both the Old Testament and New Testament, we will read about people with life-changing experiences. We will reflect on ways we, too, have been and will be transformed and called by God to serve His mission in the world. All ladies are invited to join us for Bible study, food and fellowship. After a summer break, the New Horizons will meet on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 3:00 p.m. in the assembly room. Jim Caulder will be our speaker. Bring a covered dish and enjoy an afternoon of fellowship, an interesting program and some good food. It's not too early to register for the January 2015 Israel tour. Brochures are available at www.allis-acres.com/israel.htm or on the rack in the narthex. Feel free to contact Bobby with questions at 271-2777 or bobby54@earthlink.net.

Autumn Fires In the other gardens and all up the vale From the autumn bonfires, see the smoke trail! Pleasant summer over and all the summer flowers, The red fire blazes, the grey smoke towers. Sing a song of season! Something bright in all Flowers in the summer, fires in the fall. —Robert Louis Stevenson

Dear St. Luke’s, I would like to thank Ms. Lisa Lever, Ms. Becky Kinard and the VBS Youth for cleaning up around my property. Also, I would like to give a special thanks to Mr. Kevin Longshore for hauling off my barrels of trash to the dump. This was a much appreciated effort from all. I would like to give a real special thanks to Pastor Schafer and Ms. Mitzie for giving me a refrigerator. I would like to thank Pastor Schafer and Mr. Kent Richardson for delivering it to my house and setting it up in my utility build-ing. I will always carry each of you and my congregation in my heart. May God be with you always and give you peace. Sincerely yours, Leslie Rankin A special thanks to everyone who made the Early Morning Sunday Services possible. Special thanks to these people who did more than just get up early: Lectors: Catherine Boozer, Charlene Pitts, Alana Eargle, Deann McManus, Grant Mays, Carter Mays, Evan Pitts, Mike Hawkins and to Jay Salter who participated three Sundays. Social hour refreshments: Cheryl Lucas and Carolyn Shealy; Charlene Pitts and Barbara Hendrix; Ronald and Catherine Boozer; Janette Vaughn, Peggy Killian, Lisa Lever and Linda Bratton; Deann McManus, Sara Eargle and Becky Mills; Faye Hawkins and Kelly Hawkins; Michelle Long; Fran Merchant and Gina Mays; Mike and Andy Hawkins; and John and Becky Pugh. Special thanks to all who provided the music. And a real big thanks to Pastor Jason; without his leadership these early services would not have taken place.

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Sun Mon Tue 1 Office closed

School closed 2 Choir Practice 7:00 p.m. Stoney Hill Center mtg. 7:30 p.m.

3 Local Service P

7 Grandparent’s Day LMM 8:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Temple talk: SC LRC

8 Christian Fellowship and Outreach Group 7:00 p.m.

9 Essie Hawkins Circle 10:00 a.m. Girl Scouts 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 7:00 p.m.

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14 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Temple talk: SC LRC Old Hymn Singing Holy Baptism Youth group & parents meet at noon Fellowship Hall reserved 2-5 p.m. Council Meeting 6:00 p.m.

15 LMM 7:30 p.m. Thomas Suber Circle 7:30 p.m.

16 Faye & Hilton Roof Circle 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 7:00 p.m.

17 Barbara Richard

21 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Council nominations Holy Baptism Fellowship Hall reserved WELCA Joint Meeting 12:00 p.m.

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23 Girl Scouts 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 7:00 p.m.

24 Cemetery Comm

28 LMM Sunday Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Council nominations Time and Talent Retirement drop-in 3:00– 5:00 p.m.

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30 Choir Practice 7:00 p.m.

Oct 1

Wed Thu Fri Sat

roject Task Force meeting 7:15 p.m.

4 Bulletin info due by 10 a.m.

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G.A.L.S. Covered dish meal 4:00 p.m.

assembly room

11 Bulletin info due by 10 a.m.

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dson Circle 7:00 p.m.

18 Bulletin info due by 10 a.m. Information for The Lamplighter October newsletter is due

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20 New Horizons 3:00 p.m. in assembly room

mittee meeting 7:00 p.m.

25 Bulletin info due by 10 a.m.

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27 Girl Scouts Creation Stations

10:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m.

Oct 2 Oct 3 Sanctuary reserved

Oct 4

2014

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