We have decided to postpone the Easter Egg Hunt on April 4th. We will have an event for the children at a later date.
We will have our Lutheran Women Brunch on May 23rd and our theme is “Reflection of Gods Love. Tickets will go on sell the first Sunday in May. We want to say THANKS to everyone for your continued support.
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The youth and I had such a great time at the Carolina’s Mission District retreat. It was held at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island- many of you may be familiar with this camp from events you have attended in the past. A special thank you to Margaret Kleckley for attending with us as a chaperone. In the midst of all the uncertainty, we were grateful for the opportunity to attend and make the best of it. The retreat theme was “Fear Not” based on Isaiah 41:9-10 ‘”you whom I took from the ends of the Earth, and called you from it’s farthest corners, saying to you, “you are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”’ fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This was so timely because although we are going through a season of uncertainty and fear, we can have peace and rest in the fact that God is there for us and we are ready. There were times of fun, silliness, games, campfires, amazing food, and fellowship but there were also times of listening, sharing, confession, reverence, worship and learning. I want to share what was shared with us during our night session. We looked at Matthew 8:23-27, which is the story where Jesus is asleep on the boat with the disciples when the storm comes. Fear begins to drown and overwhelm the disciples and through this, Jesus teaches them to trust Him and to cry out for His help. Though we fear many things, we have the assurance that Jesus will carry us through – therefore that should bring us to our knees to pray. The Lord uses the storms we go through so that we can find Him mightier than the storm. We know that Jesus saved Noah in the flood, rescued Joseph from the pit and cleared him of all false accusations, saved Daniel from the hungry lions, and saved those three men from the fiery furnace. Jesus understands our fears, weakness, temptation, and sadness. In this story, we are shown that an all-powerful Being is in control of His creation. He doesn’t take our storm away, but he steps into the boat with us and the great calm that the disciples experienced after the storm was just a sample of what all those who be-lieve will relish in the new creation. I would love to share more about our trip once we are all back together again. If you get a chance to talk to any of our youth members, ask them what they learned or what their experience was. I’m sure they would love to share it with you. During this time of uncertainty, set your hope on God, set your hope on the One who is above it all. He gives peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7) and is with you in the storm of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. He is our peace and He will deliver us.
Grace & Peace, Rachel
Below is an article that someone shared with me a while ago. As it brought me to tears, I thought about how important this reminder is to not only our congregation, but to all people, to remember the responsibility that we all carry to raise up the next generation in the faith that we all share.
Article: Take your kids to church. Make the effort. Wake them up early. Fool with the belts and the buckles and the fancy hair bows. Endure the sleepy, grumpy faces and the misplaced shoes. Run around like a mad woman gathering everybody’s belongings and trying to get out the door on time. Hop to the car with a shoe in one hand and your make-up bag in the other. Give those babies a poptart and let ‘em eat it in the car. If its raining, get wet. If its cold, get a jacket. If you’re tired, go tired. But take those babies to church. You know why? Because Jesus is there. He’s there. And He’ll meet them there. And you too. He’ll be there in the sweet smile of their Sunday School teacher as she greets them into their room. He’ll be there in the hug from a sweet friend and the encouraging smile that assures you that they “just barely made it” too. He’ll be there in the sacred words read from the Bible speaking truth to their little impressionable hearts. He’ll be there in the worship and the watery eyes and whispers of praise.
So take them. Carry all of their Bibles and drawings and toilet paper tube creations. Sit by them in worship. Open your Bible and open theirs. Show them how to find the scripture the pastor is preaching from. Show them how to worship. Explain to them why He’s worthy of worship. Let them see you laugh and cry and praise and study. Forgive their wiggles and paper rustles and know that they’re listening even when it seems like they aren’t. Ask them questions and answer the ones they ask you. Tell them of His greatness – His power – His faithfulness. Tell them with your words and show them with your life. Tell them what he’s done for you and how you’ve been changed by His grace and forgiveness and goodness and love. Tell them how they can be too. Point them to Jesus. Over and over and over again.
Take your kids to church. They’ll love it there. It’s the only place where they can go and just be themselves. They don’t have to “be” good enough or smart enough or athletic enough. They don’t have to perform for approval or achievement. They just get to go and hear how much God loves them. Just because they’re them. Just because He created them, they’re valued. Their worth isn’t based on the grades they make or their ability to throw a curveball. Its not dependent on their performance or skill level. And they need a little more of that, don’t you think? A little more grace and a little less pressure.
Take them to church. Before you take them to the ballfield or the dance studio. Before you take them on vacation or to grandma’s or to the backyard to play. Let them know its a priority. Show them it has eternal value. Let them see you set aside schedules and extra curricular activities and work and busy-ness to be present with the Lord in His house. I promise you won’t regret it. I promise you it won’t return back void. I promise it’s worth it.
“But Jesus said, let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14
Grace & Peace, Rachel
The Youth will be leading the worship service on Sunday, February 16th. Please watch your worship folders for more information about upcoming practices if you are going to be participating.
We will be kicking off our youth group for kids (ages 13 and under) with an ice cream party on February 2nd at 4 PM in the fellowship hall following Children’s Choir practice. You do not have to be a part of the children’s choir to attend. Everyone in this age group is encouraged to join!
The next Youth prayer breakfast will be February 12th at 8:30 AM. We will be joined by Melanie and her youth group from St. Peter’s Lutheran Church to talk about the upcoming Mission District Youth Retreat in March. Sandra and Davis have offered to cook breakfast that morning- See you there!
All youth, remember we will start back meeting on Wednesday, January 8th for our prayer breakfast before school. Meet in the fellowship hall for breakfast and prayer. Bring a friend or two.
We have been invited to join the Carolina’s Mission District on a Youth Retreat, March 13th-15th, at Camp St. Christopher. All students grades 6-12 are invited to join and bring their friends as well. The cost for non-members is $120 and SJY members will attend for free. We will go Friday night and return home Sunday after Worship. The weekend will include worship on the beach, Bible study, campfires, games, and friends! If you plan on attending, sign up on the SJY youth bulletin board as soon as possible so we can save your spot! It’s gonna be a great time.
It’s that time of year again. The time for New Year’s Resolutions. And the top resolutions, for most people, tend to revolve around the same three poles: money, health and family. We set goals to bring change, to improve our lives, and to obtain new habits and maybe even try to break some old ones. But what would a set of New Year’s resolutions look like for us and our church, your role as a leader, or simply as someone who wants to live a life of Kingdom investment? I want to offer some suggestions of things I have committed to in the past, and usually continue to grow each New Year:
I always find it interesting to see what people declare as their New Year change, not as a test to see how long we can stick with something but to cheer each other on while learning about areas where people feel as though they fall short. So whether it’s eating healthier, serving the Church in a new way, or being a better friend; I would love to know. On my bulletin board in the hallway next to the fellowship hall, feel free to share what your New Year’s goal is. Once you have shared, join me in praying for each resolution to be brought to completion. Thank you, Lord for giving us a New Year ahead. Help us live the way we should in each new day we tread. Give us gentle wisdom, give us strength and courage as a shoulder we might lend. The year ahead is empty, help us fill it with good things. Each new day filled with joy and happiness it brings. Amen.
May all the blessings of the Lord be yours in abundance in the New Year, Isaiah 43:19.
Rachel
The Children’s Choir will practice each Sunday afternoon at 3 PM in the Sanctuary. We are looking forward to having so much fun learning new songs and lifting our little voices to the Lord.
