June 23, 2024

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Greetings. School is out and we begin to transition into the season of summer. For those of us living in the low country, this is the time of year we are drawn to the beach at Hunting Island, the sandbar in the Beaufort River, or a quiet spot in one of the nearby creeks with our nets and fishing poles. Various camps are also available throughout our community.

As we adjust to the hot and humid weather patterns of late June and the month of July, we at Sea Island have yet to peddle in a lower gear. In the last two weeks alone, the church campus has been quite busy. We have served as a polling location in the recent primary, opened our doors for a Lions Club Spaghetti Supper, welcomed over 60 high school and college students along with their adult advisors who are affiliated with the United Methodist Salkehatchie Service Group from mid-state South Carolina. .We have served as their home base and shelter since last Sunday as they began their work repairing homes on St. Helena Island. This evening, they will enjoy a delicious supper in the Fellowship Hall and begin to wind down as they “break camp” tomorrow after breakfast and make their way home tomorrow morning. May each one return home safely and enjoy the balance of their summer.

Over the same time period of just two weeks, members of three Rotary Clubs have also conducted their regular meetings in the Fellowship Hall with one club holding a Change of Watch Ceremony in the Fellowship Hall. Tomorrow morning, nearly 35 youth and adults will make their way to the annual Montreat Worship & Music Conference. A smaller contingent will gather on Sunday morning and make their way up the road to Montreat after the second worship service. We will all reside in what is known as the Georgia Lodge at Montreat, which is immediately across the street from Anderson Auditorium where much of the action takes place during the week (in addition to the Barn, Lake Susan, and the Huckleberry.)

Your Session Council and Board of Deacons, respective committee members, church staff, and a host of joyful volunteers have facilitated and supported the work of each group. I bring to your attention that 4 Sea Island adults reported to our kitchen, Monday thru Friday, at 4:00 am, for KP Duty feeding the high school and college students. The mission and work conducted on our church campus and beyond takes commitment and devotion and demonstrates our love for God, for Others, and our commitment to reaching out to the world around us.

With a new weekend upon us, in our coming and going, let us remember in our prayers . . .

Pastoral Care

Ralph (Jo) Beaver. Beaufort Memorial Hospital
John Griffin, brother of Jan Gentry
Lucy Evans, (mother of Dene McCain), Helena Square in Port Royal
Gerry (Bootsie) Hutchison, MUSC-Charleston
Jim (Ellen) Schlage, National Health Center, Okatie, SC
Maribeth Mizell, Assisted Living Care, Ridgeland, SC
Marion Weihrouch, Sprenger Health Care, Port Royal

Prayers of Intercession

Jan (Lisa) Crawford, Bruce Crook, Judy Crowley (mother of Doug Crowley), Bradi Dinkins, Margaret (Pat) Gibson, Brian Haupt, Ellen (Jim) Kemp, Steve (Nancy) Kessel, Mary Jo Kjeldsen (sister of Susan Converse, Perry Lee (brother of Steve Lee), Buddy McElveen, Janell MCClure, Mike O’Connor, Jim (Clara), Partridge, Pete (Nancy) Pratt, Mary (Dan) Spruill, Shirley Stevens, Heather Titmus, Kevin (Maureen) Vey, (brother-in-law of Colleen Bible, and Gail Watson.

The Sacrament of Baptism

Of special note, those of us attending the 10:30 am worship service this Sunday will share together in the baptism of Mackenzie Goodman. Mackenzie is married to Jim Goodman who is a Navy Petty Officer assigned to Parris Island. This will be most certainly a time to rejoice as we together remember who we are in Christ and to whom we belong.

My friends, as life comes at us at full speed, in Christ may you be blessed with the fortitude of heaven, the brightness of the Sun, and the brilliance of the moon. May you have the magnificence of fire, the speed of lightning, quickness of wind, depth of sea, stability of Earth, and the sturdiness of rock. Amen. +

Sea Island at a Glance

Bethelwoods Camp & Conference Center, York, SC

Jump, Swim, and Paddle your way to Bethelwoods
Summer Camps for Children & Youth; 803.366.3722; info@bethelwoods.org

Montreat Youth Conference, Montreat, NC

Planting Peace, July 21-27
For Senior High Youth
POC: Susan Seckinger seckingersm@gmail.com 843.812.0432 or Rebecca Angelo rebpolk@hotmail.com 843.321.1302

Camp-In-A-Van, Provided by Bethelwoods Counselors

Explore the Parables of Jesus & God’s Covenant Relationship with Creation
July 29 through August 2; 9 AM to 2 PM
For Children: K thru 6th
POC: Kay Keeler, kaykeeler52@gmail.com or 843.812.4206

Andrew Byrd
Service of Ordination, July 14, 4:00 pm

Andrew Byrd, having graduated from the Union Presbyterian Seminary on May 25 and received his Master of Divinity Degree, has accepted a call to the St. Johns Westminster Union Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. Andrew has asked our community of faith to host his Service of Ordination on July 14, 4:00 pm. At that time, Andrew will be officially ordained as a Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). May the Lord bless and keep Andrew as he begins his parish ministry on August 1.