From the Pastor

Receiving and Giving - The stewardship of our financial gifts, our money is a spiritual matter. It involves our relation to God and to humanity and all creation, as well as discovering and sharing the essence of our being - as members of God's family, as children of God, and as images of God. This year's financial stewardship campaign leading up to our Consecration Sunday Celebration of May 18, will emphasize our receiving God's blessing and in gratitude sharing that blessing through our commitment to giving, a truly liberating experience. It will stress our need to receive and give in love, to God, who is Love, rather than the church's need to get. That we give to God, not to a church budget - transforming what has been understood as something merely functional, into a relational experience and understanding.

We will e embarking on this spiritual journey toward wholeness in concrete ways. Tithing will be discovered as a liberating and helpful tool to enable us to move on our spiritual journey together toward wholeness. We will be given the opportunity to take another step toward a tithing lifestyle, putting God first, and thereby living a more balanced life. A sample estimate of giving card can be seen on page 2 of this newsletter. We will be given these cards to complete and return on Consecration Sunday as an act of worship. The experience will be sacramental in nature as we prayerfully consider and dedicate or consecrate our estimates of giving as a family celebration.

Sunday, May 18 will be a time of special celebration here at St. James. We will combine our 8:45 and 11:00 worship services and have one worship celebration at 10:30am, which will be followed by a catered Sunday dinner together in the gym. This will be a time to consecrate our estimates of giving for the coming fiscal year (July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009). There will be special music as well as a guest preacher, the Reverend Reginald Thackston, for the combined worship service. Reggie has been working with our stewardship committee as we planned for this special celebration. He has served churches in Conway, Columbia, Charleston and Marion. He has also served on a number of conference committees and Boards of Trust including Wofford College, which honored him with the Doctor of Divinity Degree. Consecration Sunday will be a festive and meaningful celebration you will not want to miss!

P.S. There will be no charge for the dinner on Consecration Sunday in keeping with our emphasis and celebration of receiving and giving graciously as a part of our church family together.

Pathways

An orientation class for new members, visitors or seekers
who want to know more about St. James UMC and church membership.

We will have an initial organization gathering for those
who may be interested in attending an orientation class called
Pathways on Sunday, May 25, (during the Sunday School hour
beginning at 9:45) in the church office.
If you are interested please call the church office
to sign up, or let me know.