Seeking A More Excellent Way

A Future With Hope 2019 South Carolina United Methodist Conference, led by Bishop Jonathan Holston, was held this year at the TD Convention Center in

Greenville from June 2nd through June 6th. Bishop Holston opened Annual Conference on Sunday evening by declaring “Hope is a four-

letter word.” He said, whether we recognize it or not, we subconsciously or deliberately put hope into every single thing we do. Bishop

Holston used the following explaining A Future With Hope:

H-Hanging on to the promises of God O-Overcoming adversity P-Pursuing truth, and E-Enduring patiently.

In addition to spending time in worship and prayer, delegates conducted plenty of business during the Annual Conference. Delegates used

an electronic voting system to elect 16 delegates to the 2020 General Conference and 16 delegates, plus 2 alternate delegates, to the 2020

Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. Below are some of the Conference highlights, for complete information including a list of all

elected Clergy and Lay delegates go to www.umcsc.org/ac2019.

• Bible study each morning was led by husband and wife team Dr. Greg Jones, dean and theologian at Duke Divinity School, and the

Rev. Susan Jones, ministry associate at Church Transformation Ministries.

• 36 men and women were licensed as local pastors Monday morning. Retired Bishop James R. King Jr. preached an ordination service

Monday night that commissioned or ordained 19 men and women as clergy.

• The Rev. Sara White brought a word on Monday, “In the Midst of Life,” for the Annual Conference Service of Thanksgiving and

Memory honoring the 58 men and women who died during the past year.

• The Service of Recognition and Celebration of Retiring Pastors on Tuesday honored the ministry and mission of 30 retiring pastors and

other ministers, capped off by the ceremonial “Passing of the Mantle.”

• Embracing a spirit of awareness, love and inclusiveness, Annual Conference delegates participated in a Service of Reconciliation and

Healing on Tuesday. Worship included Native American music, a drum circle by the Keepers of the Word, and prayers and messages

centered on healing and coming together as Christians.

• Annual Conference did not vote on any petitions to General Conference 2020 this year as all 3 proposed petitions submitted in response

to actions taken during the 2019 General Conference were ultimately ruled out of order.

• A Conference sexual ethics policy was approved, The Sexual & Professional Misconduct Policy for Ministerial Leadership, written to

bring the conference in alignment with Paragraph 605.9 of the Book of Discipline.

• Delegates approved an overall 2020 Annual Conference budget of $16,828,850, which represents a decrease of 1.1 percent over the

2019 Annual Conference budget.

• Nearly 3,000 lbs. of food was collected to donate to Harvest Hope Food Bank – enough to provide nearly 2,500 meals for families in

need in our host community of Greenville. Also Delegates assembled and donated more than 200 “elder baskets” – baskets filled with

non-perishable items to be given to elderly Native Americans.

• More than $27,000 was donated during 2 offerings - $13,827.47 for the United Methodist Women’s Legacy Fund and $13,887.54 for

UMCSC Seminary Students Scholarship fund.

The 2020 South Carolina Annual Conference is scheduled for June 7 – 10 at the Florence Center in Florence, SC.

We extend a warm welcome to Rev. Scott Bratton starting as our new pastor

Saint Paul UMC Delegates,

Gail Creel, Emily Harding and Virginia Baird

The Way I See It

Happy Summertime and welcome to August! I am still trying to “find my feet” but overall I report to you my joy in serving as your Pastor here at Saint Paul. We are

mostly settled but yet still learning our way around. Thank you for your gracious welcoming to me and my wife, Dottie.

The way I see things, we have an excellent church in an excellent city, in an excellent location, in an excellent state. You have provided me with an excellent staff who

are supported by excellent volunteers. I have been busy doing both familiar things like preaching and visiting, but also some unfamiliar things like overseeing the

Child Care Center and authorizing bills to be paid.

I used the word “excellent” above six times so you might reasonably conclude that everything is “excellent”. On balance, there are many things which need work but

overall they impact things like attendance and financial health. Consider these:

We have almost 600 members but less than 150 on an average Sunday. Where are the lost sheep? What shall we do to call them home? My attendance goal is 220.

We have struggled to make budget and failed to fully pay our apportionments to the conference. How can we be better stewards of our resources?

We have had issues in the Child Care Center and await confirmation of a new Director. We have a long-standing relationship with the Child Care Center yet have

zero families in worship on Sunday from there. We recently approved a 10% reduction in tuition for active members to provide that conduit.

We have many neighbors whom we don’t know who are potential members of the church family. We need to open the door and welcome them. I hope you will

invite your neighbors, close and far, to join us. We will promote “Wonderful Wednesdays” soon to include a worship component in addition to a reasonably

priced meal and engaging study.

Overall, we need to look forward to excellent ministry together while healing past hurts and offering hope.

In Christ’s Name,

Scott Pastor Scott

Stewardship Report OFFERINGS & TITHES ORSHIP ATTENDANCE

Amount received week of 06/09: $ 7,364.14 June 9: 100

Amount received week of 06/16: $ 12,542.02 June 16: 83

Amount received week of 06/23: $ 8,640.00 June 23: 97

Amount received week of 06/30: $ 9,282.68 June 30: 160

Needed Weekly: $13,000.00

To give online, go to our website www.stpumcflo.org and click on the give online tab.

This takes you to the giving page.

Click on the give online tab and follow the instructions to set-up one-time or recurring giving.

We have “Autumn Adventure” information posted on the bulletin

board in the office building. We also have

registration forms available in the office.

Come by to learn more about “With Respect and Honor”

“With Respect and Honor”

Event at Epworth By The Sea - September 23-26, 2019

Visit the Savannah History Museum, the Georgia State

Railroad Museum, and the Massie Heritage Center

Walk to Pier Village, sit by the ocean, visit historic Christ

Church, and so much more.

www.epworthbythesea.org or call 912-638-8688

Non Profit org.

U.S. Postage

Paid

Permit # 48

Saint Paul United Methodist Church 1629 West Palmetto Street Florence, SC 29501 Phone: (843) 669-3134 Fax: (843) 669-5876 Email: stpmed@bellsouth.net

Submit News Articles & Pictures for the September Epistle by August 8th to: stpmed@ bellsouth.net (please put EPISTLE in the subject line)

Youth @ St Paul Summer break has been great! School starts back, not yay. Youth Wednesdays and Sunday

nights start back, YAY! Something special on the 10th. Blessings of the book bags on the

18th during service. “Neighborhood Trash Walk & Talk” on the 24th! Parent meeting on the

25th at 4:30pm. Welcome back Ice Cream social on the 28th at 6:00pm!

Jay beck.stpyouth@gmail.com Salk 2019!

Kids Corner

Bible verse: Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

August 6th (Tuesday) Family skate night 6-8pm at Skateland USA

August 18th (Sunday during Worship Service)

Promotion Sunday, Blessings of the Book Bags, 3rd Grade Bible Presentation

August 25th (Sunday) Parent Information Meeting

Melody beck.melody@yahoo.com Please continue to collect Piggly Wiggly receipts!

Upcoming Events

A monthly publication of Saint Paul United Methodist Church - Florence, South Carolina, 29501

The Epistle August 2019

WORSHIP SERVICE HELPERS

August 4, 2019 Lay Leader: Michael Grady

Greeter: Virginia Baird Head Ushers: Danny Braddock/Johnny Hamer Monday Counters: Janet Howell/Nancy Kittrell

August 11, 2019 Lay Leader: Joan Daniels

Greeters: Carole & Glen Neil Head Usher: Worth Adams

Monday Counters: Virginia Baird/Pat Willis

August 18, 2019 Lay Leader: Jay Beck Greeter: Rodney Cox

Head Ushers: David Tomlinson/Wayne Catoe Monday Counters: Janet Howell/Nancy Kittrell

August 25, 2019 Lay Leader: Patsy Slice

Greeters: Sandra & Robert Harris Head Ushers: Howard Cross/Tom White

Monday Counters: Gwen Jeffords/Pat Willis

UNDER SPECIAL CARE

Doreen Copeland at home

Arlene Crouch The Manor

Doris Hammond at home

Don Handley Florence Place

Gary Handley at home

Robert Lowman Sr. at home

Lieze McDaniel Presbyterian Home

Hazel McGee at home

Ellison Messick at home

Norma Phillips The Manor

Eleanor Odom McLeod Hospice House

MEMORIALS AND HONORARIUMS

Memorials were given in memory of Charles T Hodges by: Gladys Hodges

Memorials were given in memory of Charlie Mims by: Carole & Glen Neil

Memorials were given in memory of Brenda Ham Caudle by: Connie & David Askins

The pastor and congregation express their deepest sympathy to the friends and family of the following

Faye Higgs’s brother, Harry Newbern , August 6, 1939—July 5, 2019

Debra White Runion’s daughter, Allison Suzanne Jones — August 22, 1982—July 14, 2019

Wonderful Wednesday’s resume in September!

The Children’s Ministry will be preparing and serving a wonderful meal on

September 4th. Come join us and bring a friend!

Please Pray for our Outreach Ministries & Ministers

Rev. Rick Howell, Winthrop Wesley Foundation

Lou Jordan, Francis Marion Wesley Foundation

John and Susan McGee, The CRU Foundation

Rachel Hudson, Youth with a Mission

Alejandro Betancur, Ministerial Internship

Corners of Your Field

Cleaning-out closets, drawers, garages or spare

rooms? Be sure to take the things you are giving

away to one of the House of Hope Mission Marts and tell them

you are from Saint Paul UMC. We will receive gift cards to give

to those in need, because of your generosity.