FROM THE PASTOR

Does the normal routine of your daily life include encounters with the Divine? 

Yes?  No?  Sometimes?  Maybe?  Not sure?  If you answered any of the above, don’t worry, it’s not a test and you’re not being graded!  The fact is, God is encountering us at all points along our life’s journey, even when we don’t realize it.  When we open our eyes and ears, hearts and minds, we begin to see God in the faces of our brothers and sisters everywhere.  We start to recognize opportunities to serve God through making a positive difference in the lives of others.  Kindness, compassion, tolerance, mercy, healing, wholeness, purpose, and direction; these are the things God has revealed to us through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  In the Christian Church, we believe that Jesus Christ is the Way to a relationship with God that will ultimately set us free from our own sinful limitations and set us loose on a world that needs to hear Jesus’ Story and to benefit from the ministry of His Holy Church.

If you have been searching for purpose or direction, if you are already a follower of Jesus looking for a church home, or even if you are simply curious to learn more about Jesus and His Church, then I would invite you to join us for worship some Sunday soon here at St. James Lutheran Church in Sumter.  Here you will be welcomed without condition or hesitation.  Here you will encounter the Word of God proclaimed in the midst of the gathered community of faith and sing with us the songs of faith and praise.  Here you will hopefully experience a special place where God not only speaks His Holy Words of Promise and Salvation, but then sends His people forth to change lives in the Name of Jesus Christ.  On behalf of all of the members of St. James, I invite you to come and be a part of our community.  God’s Blessings are many and His love for us is limitless.  Come and join us…come and see what He has in store for us all!

May Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with you always on your Journey of Faith.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Wes Poole †
St. James Lutheran Church – Sumter, SC

	Founded	1890
	Vision	We are one body, growing in faith, where all are welcome and Jesus is Lord.
	Pastor	The Rev. Patrick "Wes" Poole ... 'Pastor Wes'
	Members	564 Baptized; 461 Confirmed, 138 Sunday School attendees. Our average Sunday worship attendance is 164 members. We are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; 5.2 million members, 11,000 congregations.
	Location	1137 Alice Drive, Sumter, SC 29150 - (Get a map here)
	Services	Sunday Worship at 8am & 10:30am; Sunday School at 9:15am. A Nursery is provided every Sunday from 9:15am to 12:00pm. Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday at both services. A Communion Service is held every Tuesday at 12:00 noon. Click here for our Visitor's Guide To Worship.
	Facilities	Situated on five acres, our facilities include the main Sanctuary, an educational wing, Fellowship Hall, and a newly constructed Library. Plenty of parking, too. Photos are available under the ABOUT tab above.
	Preschool	Yes, St. James Lutheran School Ages 3 to 5 years - (More information here)
	Handicap	Yes, wheelchair accessible.
	Trend	Membership & ministries growing, facilities recently expanded.
	Programs	We offer dozens of different ways you can get involved in our faith community. We have activities to suit every preference and a variety of interests. We invite you to learn more about these opportunities to serve others under the PROGRAMS tab above.
	The Web	Please bookmark our website — www.stjamessumter.org — for all the current information, program activities, newsletter, and monthly events calendar for St. James Lutheran.