February 11-13, 2011: Revolution    NEED PERMISSION FORM

   EVERY time we leave church property for a an outing of the youth fellowship, a parent/guardian MUST sign a Safe Sanctuary permission form for EVERY youth going.  At St. John's UMC, we are a Safe Sanctuary.  We are committed to the safety of every child/youth/vulnerable adult.

Our theme for 2009-2010 is "Lugoff INK."  You may have heard of the popular TV shows, "Miami Ink" and "L.A. Ink," about tattoo artistry.  Well, at St. John's UMC in Lugoff, "INK" stands for "INcreasing the Kingdom."  As Jesus taught His disciples to pray with what we now call the Lord's Prayer, He included, "...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." (Matthew 6:10)  Our mission this year is to seek God's will for us and our community...to increase God's kingdom, right here, right now.

   At the conclusion of each week's UMYF gathering, we stand in a circle and pray together.  However, there is always a gap in our circle.  Why?  We leave an opening in circle for two reasons.  1.  to remind us to always remain open to the presence of God through the Holy Spirit, and 2.  to welcome new friends into our fellowship.  After we pray about the joys and concerns on our hearts and minds, we close our meetings with the United Methodist Youth Benediction, Numbers 6:24-26.  Its words echo our prayer for all those who visit this site.  "May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.  May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace."  Amen.