Welcome to Church of the Palms

Listen to Sermon of November 17

Listen to Pastor Pete's message "Saving Endurance" preceded by Cindy Pringle reading Luke 21:5-19

This is from our 11 a.m. classic style worship service on November 17.

All of our messages are also available on iTunes and all three weekly worship experiences are available on our YouTube channel.

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Brothers! Meet November 21

The Brothers! Breakfast and Bible study group meets this Thursday, November 21.  They will continue their study of 2 Samuel. Breakfast is at 8 a.m. and the study is at 8:30 a.m.

 Additional details on The Brothers! available online.

Gathering -- November 23

The "Gathering", our contemporary worship experience, meets every Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m.

This week, November 23, Portia Foden will be centering us, Pastor Pete will share the message "This IS our King" based on Luke 23:33-43. Becky McLeod will lead us in our music including:

- This Is Amazing Grace
- What A Beautiful Name
- Amazing Love
- Lead Me To The Cross

Holy Communion will be shared with all. And then join in a time of community over a light meal following the worship.

Come experience the most meaningful life there is - "Connected To God, and Connected to One Another"- at Church of the Palms.

Worship this Weekend, November 23 & 24

November 23 & 24
“This IS Our King!”
Luke 23:33-43
5:30 p.m. / 8:30 a.m. / 11 a.m.

This weekend marks the end of the Church liturgical year, a weekend denoted by the Reign of Christ / Christ the King Sunday. So this Saturday and Sunday, we focus on the type of king, the kind of leader that we see in Jesus the Christ. The scripture lesson from Luke 23:33-43 is not one in which Jesus demonstrates undeniable power or influence of even worldly success. After all, the passage has him dying on the cross along with criminals.

Jesus doesn’t seem to be the type of king we want if we are focused on domination, on might over right, of comfort and success at the cost of others. No, Jesus may not be the type of king or leader we want, but he is the one we need. He is the one who, by his life, displays wonders of love, grace, and mercy that extended from this life into eternity.

So come this weekend to any of our three worship experiences as we declare once again to ourselves and to the world, that this Jesus, the Christ, IS our king.

The Gathering, our contemporary worship experience, meets on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Holy Communion will be shared at this service, and a light community meal will follow.

On Sunday, worship will be at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. with Matt Wagner serving as our guest trumpeter.

Schedule Changes the Week of Thanksgiving

Please be aware of the following schedule changes occurring the week of Thanksgiving:

- No Sisters Too!! Bible study on Tuesday, November 26
- No Sisters!! Bible study on Wednesday, November 27
- No Stephen Ministry on Wednesday, November 27
- No Brothers! Bible study on Thursday, November 28
- No Lowcountry Youth Wind Symphony on Thursday, November 28
- No choir practice on Thursday, November 28
- Church office closed on Thanksgiving, November 28, and Friday, November 29
- No Brothers Too! Bible study on Saturday, November 30.

Be informed about these NEW events the week of Thanksgiving:

- Community Thanksgiving service at Lowcountry Presbyterian on Tuesday, November 26, at 7 p.m.

- Thanksgiving Day Potluck at noon on Thursday, November 28

New Member Weekend, November 23 & 24

Church of the Palms is being blessed by many new members joining our community of faith so that we might be a greater blessing to others! Take time to connect with our new members and teach them your name as you learn theirs.

Our next new Member weekend of 2019 is Saturday, November 23 at 5:30 p.m. or Sunday, November 24, at 8:30 a.m. or 11 a.m.

If you have felt God's urging to connect more deeply, simply contact Sandy Biggs, Church Secretary, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 843-379-1888 for a Family Information Sheet to get things started. Sandy can assist you with the details needed, including time with Pastor Pete.

An information/orientation luncheon on Sunday, November 10, following the 11 a.m. worship service, is planned for those interested in knowing more about Church of the Palms and what membership entails. There is no obligation to join if you attend.

Please contact the church office at 843-379-1888 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you wish to attend so that we might ensure enough food is available.

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Sunday Spiritual Formation Opportunities

There are several opportunities to participate in small group studies on Sunday mornings. Each has a stand-alone subject every week, so attend as schedules permit. Contact the study leader for a book.

Sunday morning adult studies:'

• •“Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White”, an Adam Hamilton study with book and dvd. Leader Chick Mazon, meeting in Room 107.

• “Why?” based on Adam Hamilton's book. Leader Richard Robertson, meeting in Room 106. Note: This class will be on Sabbatical from August 18 until Pilgrims return from Israel.

• "Ordinary People Chosen by God to Change the World." based on the book by Max Lucado. Leaders: Larry Fullen and Harry Danforth, meeting in Room 103.

Community Thanksgiving Service

Join your friends and neighbors as Lowcountry Presbyterian, Campbell Chapel A.M.E., and Church of the Palms UM, gather together in a Thanksgiving worship service on Tuesday, November 26, at 7 p.m.

This simple but sincere service will include familiar hymns, an anthem by the combined choirs of all churches, moments of reflection, and testimonies by the laity of each congregation focused on gratitude and an opportunity to give thanks to our common God.

A time of fellowship will follow the service. The service will be held in the sanctuary of Lowcountry Presbyterian, located at 10 Simmonsville Rd in Bluffton.

Help Decorate The Church Building

Help decorate the church building for Advent and the approach of Christmas, this Wednesday, November 27, at 9:30 a.m.

Brenda Berg will have supplies and directions ready so that we can enjoy the time getting the church building ready for the Advent season and the coming of Christmas.

Any time you are able to give will be appreciated!

Thanksgiving Day Potluck

A Thanksgiving Day Potluck, hosted by Pete and Kathy Berntson, will start at noon on Thursday, November 28. Pete will be cooking a turkey or two, so come, bring a dish to share, and enjoy delicious food and good fellowship.

This is a very low-key, casual event intended to simply provide a way for those who find themselves alone, or those seeking a place to be, or those just wanting to give thanks.

Let us know you are coming so we can have enough tables set up by using the SignUpGenius here.

USCB CONNECT Info

Seeking more information on CONNECT - our ministry to USCB students?

Looking for the links to the Grandparent signup?

Everything is here.

Advent at Church of the Palms

The ancient story of the advent of Jesus Christ to this world has never ceased to capture the imaginations of men, women, and children.

For those of us who know that it actually happened in time and space two thousand years ago, we are repeatedly amazed and astonished by the grace and kindness of God. God came as one of us, as Jesus, to be born in the most humble of human settings to save and exalt the people God loves.

This Advent Season, we are going to contemplate anew the wondrous story of the Incarnation of God in the womb of a peasant girl named Mary. Through our study each weekend in Advent, starting November 30 and December 1, we shall encounter Zechariah and Elizabeth, Herod (Gathering only — Cantata “Heaven’s Child” on that Sunday), Mary and Joseph, and concluding with lessons from the Innkeeper.

May God enter every heart during these days to remind us of God’s love as we wait and prepare for “Our Coming Savior.”

Sisters Too! Meet December 3

Sisters Too! meet on Tuesdays from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Sisters Too! continue a study of Ezra on December 6 at Ezra 6:13.

Sisters! Meet December 4

Sisters! meet on Wednesdays from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

The Sisters! will continue their study of 1 Corinthians on  December 4 at 1 Corinthians 9:1.

Join this group as often as you can and enjoy the fellowship and discussion.

Support Church of the Palms via AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Church of the Palms every time you shop on Amazon, at no additional cost to you.

When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the eligible purchase price to Church of the Palms.

To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.

On your first visit to AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, you need to select Church of the Palms (search using “Palms United Methodist Church”) to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.

A Special Blue Christmas Service, December 9

Is Christmas a “blue” time for you? Stephen Ministry at Lord of Life Lutheran Church is offering a quiet, simple service on Monday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m.

With Stephen Ministers from other congregations, including Church of the Palms, this service offers time to reflect and remember in a calming candlelit space.

Perhaps you, or someone you know, is aware “this Christmas will be a hard one” either because of the death of a loved one, loss or broken relationship or because of painful memories of Christmases past. Many individuals experience pain and sadness as the holidays approach. This service intends to encourage people to move toward hope.

All are welcome to come and share. Feel free to invite any friends or neighbors to join us. Lord of Life Lutheran Church is located at 351 Buckwalter Parkway, Bluffton, SC 843-757-4774

Doughnuts with Grownups

Okatie Elementary School’s PTO is hosting this fun family event. Church of the Palms Missions Committee is asking you to volunteer to enjoy a doughnut before school with a child who doesn’t have a grownup attending.

Sign up at SignUpGenius by December 9 for 7:00 a.m. - 7:40 a.m. Thursday, December 12 or Friday, December 13.

Doughnut let a student eat alone!

Lowcountry Youth Wind Symphony Holiday Concert Dec. 15

Save the date of December 15, at 4 p.m. for the Holiday Concert of the Lowcountry Youth Wind Symphony.

The concert will be in the Sanctuary of Church of the Palms at 4 p.m. on December 15.

A reception will follow the concert. Don't miss it!

Download COTP Mobile App

Do you know that the Church of the Palms website automatically adjusts to fit the device on which it is being viewed? This means it works well with smartphones and tablets.

You can also place a COTP icon on the homepage of your iPhone that acts just like an app icon. A single tap of the new icon will launch Safari and take you right to the web page.

Here’s how:

1. Tap Safari to launch it
2. Go to www.palmsumc.org
3. Tap on the share button (box with arrow) at the bottom of the screen
4. Tap “Add to Home Screen” A sheet will appear that will allow you to change (or shorten) the name the website if you like. An icon for the website will also be provided
5. Tap Add. An icon for the webpage will be added to an open spot on your home screen.

(Watch for similar steps for Android smartphones!)

Donate Anywhere Anytime From Your Phone

Donations can now be made to Church of the Palms from anywhere, anytime via your phone.

Vanco Payment Solutions trusted processor of electronic giving for over 20 years and over 30,000 clients (including Church of the Palms), now offers Mobile Giving.

Free apps for Apple and Android phone, and security provided by your devices Touch Id, pin, and/ or password, provide for convenient and secure giving anywhere and anytime.

Learn more here.