|
Thursday, April 30, 2026
What’s New for You?
- Pilgrim’s Leah Circle is collecting individual fruit cups and juice drinks for our food pantry.
- Pastor Mary has published her newest Super Quick Bible Study.
- Parent Pro Tip from Laura Hibbs
- Pilgrim Community Preschool’s 6th Annual Art Festival was a joyful success!
- A Message from the CEO at NovusWay
| | |
Happy Thursday, Pilgrims!
The past week has been full of exciting ministry moments at Pilgrim. Many of them are documented in the pictures below.
On Friday, our school held its annual Art Festival Fundraiser. It was a great success. Thanks to our directors, Stephanie Hazelrigg and Meredith Cook, for their leadership, and to our teachers and parents for all their hands-on work and organizing.
We celebrated the baptism of little Cameron Struthers on Sunday and ended the day with a gathering of about 38 of us who participated in our Who Are We? process in preparation for a pastoral transition by the end of the year. I heard many words of appreciation for the process and for our in-house facilitator, Jackie Kaminer. Thanks to all who set up, cleaned up, and arranged for the dinner.
The second half of this process will continue immediately following worship this Sunday. Many will be present for this Part 2, others will only be at this one. Counting everyone, it looks like we could take about six more people. If you’d like to attend, please let Pastor Mary or Delores Steinhauser know as soon as possible. We want to have sufficient food and a place at the table for everyone!
On Tuesday night, the Navigating the Pressure Team met to move forward with planning our next series of events, with the mission: Helping Kids Thrive in a Stressed-Out World. We made good progress and will be revealing these events soon. We were very excited to add Cathi Christmus to our team. As an Occupational Therapist who worked with children with mental challenges, she’s a great fit for this outreach ministry.
Now, on we go, in Jesus’ Name. See you this Sunday as we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Easter!
Pastor Mary
| | |
Council President’s Page
Mary Beth Hill
Aww. Aren’t baptisms just the best?
On Sunday, we celebrated Cameron James Struthers’ baptism. Cameron, the son of Amber Chavis and Aaron Struthers, is the always-smiling three-year-old boy who normally sits in the center section of the church about four rows from the altar with his family. Christina Nagy is his baptismal sponsor.
Cameron stayed calm and serious throughout his baptism. Yes. Even when he had holy water running through his hair and across his face.
If you listened carefully, you heard many a softly sighed, “Aww.”
Keeping you in the loop!
As you remember from last week’s Pilgrim’s Progress, our Church Council decided to send you special letters called “Pastor Transition Update” letters written solely to keep you informed as we prepare not only for Pastor Mary’s retirement on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2026, but also as we begin working with the Synod Office to find our next pastor.
By now, we hope you’ve gotten your first “Pastor Transition Update” letter by mail and by email. If not, you should get it very soon.
Since Pastor Mary’s last Sunday with us is Dec. 27, the “Cheers to the Years Team,” led by Kathleen Shutt, Council Secretary, asks that you mark your calendars and save Saturday, December 12. On that Saturday, beginning at 3 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, we will celebrate Pastor Mary’s retirement and her time with us.
In this first letter, we answer some of your questions about the paperwork we must complete and submit to the Synod Office, and about what comes next with a Call Committee.
For instance, when will we have a Call Committee? We plan to have a Call Committee in place by September 1. If you would like to serve on that committee, please reach out to any member of Church Council (Melissa Hendrix, Mary Beth Hill, Joe Kaminer, Wade Miles, Peter Reinhart, Jennifer Schwabe, Kathleen Shutt, or Wally Steinhauser) and let us know you are interested. The committee will be diverse and about six people. This is an important assignment and will require a real commitment to the process.
We need YOU!
We are always looking for individuals willing to serve as worship assistants, ushers, communion assistants, hospitality table providers, children’s time teachers or assistants, and AV and sound providers. We teach you all you need to know, and we aren’t looking for perfection. We are looking for those willing to serve.
If you are interested in serving as one of these, please reach out to Courtney Coker or me, and we will get you on the calendar.
| | Sunday Moments at Pilgrim | | If you see this little house in Gable Garden, it is a butterfly house built during Children’s Time in the Word in honor of Cameron’s baptism on Sunday, April 26. | | |
Congratulations to Martha Drafts on becoming a great-grandmother on Sunday!
Her granddaughter, Rachel, joyfully welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Hadley Logan Brown.
Wishing the whole family lots of happiness and love!
| | Pastor Mary’s retirement celebration | | |
The “Cheers to the Years Team” invites everyone to mark their calendars and save the date!
We will celebrate Pastor Mary’s retirement and her time with us on Saturday, December 12, beginning at 3 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall here at Pilgrim Lutheran Church.
Stay tuned to Pilgrim’s Progress for more updates!
| | |
Sister D’Etta Broam is offering a weekly yoga group here at Pilgrim. Among her many ministries, she is the Deacon for Health and Wholeness for the S.C. Synod. To help your discernment about participating, she is asking if we are interested in a regular morning session for 30 minutes ($35 for 5 sessions/ $9 for drop-ins), 45 minutes ($50 for 5 sessions or $12 for drop-ins), or 60 minutes ($60 for 5 sessions or $15 for drop-ins). As a first step, simply let us know if you are interested in being a regular participant in a yoga class at Pilgrim by Wednesday, April 29.
Then, we’ll contact those interested to ask which day of the week works and how long we want the sessions to be. Contact the church office to let us know!
| | |
Throughout May, Pilgrim’s Leah Circle is collecting individual fruit cups and juice drinks for our food pantry.
These convenient items are a wonderful addition for families and children. As you shop this month, please consider picking up a few extras to help us share God’s love with our community.
| | |
Pastor Mary Anderson has published her newest Super Quick Bible Study. These short, faith-filled reflections are perfect for carpool lines, lunch breaks, or quiet moments when you need a reminder of God’s love. Read it here.
| | |
We’re excited to share this Parent Pro Tip from Laura Hibbs, MSW, who teaches four-year-olds at Pilgrim Community Preschool and is also a member of the Pilgrim family.
| | Newcomer Luncheon will be on May 17 | | |
If you’ve been joining us for worship and activities since the beginning of the year, we’d love to invite you to our upcoming Newcomer Luncheon!
This is a wonderful chance to enjoy fellowship and learn more about our congregation. Attending does not obligate you to join the congregation, but it is an opportunity to meet other newcomers, as well as long-time members, and to ask your questions about Christianity, our denomination, and Pilgrim.
We’ll meet immediately following worship on Sunday, May 17, in the Prayer and Share Room. You can find this room behind the kitchen on the lower level of the Administration Building (near the Fellowship Hall).
If you haven’t already, please let Pastor Mary know soon if you’re interested.
| | Emergency Contact Form Reminder | | |
Thank you to everyone who has already submitted your Emergency Contact Form. We appreciate it!
If you haven’t had a chance yet, please take a moment to complete it. Having updated information helps us care for one another in case of a medical emergency or natural disaster.
You can fill it out online using the link here, pick up a copy in the Narthex, or contact the church office for assistance.
| | Pilgrim Community Preschool | | |
Pilgrim Community Preschool’s 6th Annual Art Festival was a joyful success! It was a wonderful day filled with fun, food, and fellowship, and they raised over $6,400 to support the preschool.
Thank you to the teachers, students, families, and all who made the day so special. We’re grateful for this ministry and look forward to next year. If you weren’t able to join in, we hope you’ll consider being part of it next spring.
| | Pastor’s Discretionary Fund | | A reminder that our church maintains a Pastor’s Discretionary Fund, which is used to provide confidential assistance when needs arise within our community. If you would like to contribute, please note “Pastor’s Discretionary Fund” in the memo line of your check or on your envelope. Thank you for your generosity and care for one another. | | |
Dear Friends of NovusWay,
Something keeps happening at our camps. People come for a summer or a weekend and leave with something that stays with them — forever. I've seen it at camps my whole career, and I'm seeing it at NovusWay. It never gets old.
In this edition (Q2 2026 LINK) , you'll read about two former Lutheridge counselors, Jon Lakeman and Madeleine Rhyne, heading to seminary, a middle schooler at Lutherock who keeps coming back summer after summer, and the outreach day camp at Trinity in Pembroke Pines.
Luther Springs brings outdoor ministry to a neighborhood, reaching families who might never have found their way to us otherwise.
Three stories. Three sites. The same thing at the center: a place that gets into people.
A lot is happening on the ground right now. At Lutheridge, the Lutheridge 75th Birthday campaign is in the home stretch. New camper cabins will be finished in time for summer, and plans are under way for Mission Hall’s return to guest lodging now that staff offices have moved out. At Luther Springs, our planning team is deep into a master plan that takes us into the future. At Lutherock, you'll have just heard that we have a new program director — new leadership arriving at exactly the right moment. Plus, FEMA contractors continue hurricane clean-up and the camp creek will be ready for creek walks by summer.
None of this happens without people who show up. Volunteers have been faithful this spring — work crews, cleanup days, and hands-on help at all three sites. We are grateful. If you haven't come yet, reach out to us. We'll find something worth doing together.
I believe in what's happening at our camps this summer. I hope you feel it too — in the stories, in the updates, in the sense that what we're doing together is landing on real people and doing real things in their lives.
That's worth everything.
With gratitude,
Lauri SoJourner, CEO
| | Message from the NovusWay Board | | |
Pilgrims, here is a wonderful update on our Lutheran camps in North Carolina and Florida!
Click here to read more about it. Pastor Mary is checking into the new bRidge programs for congregations and will report back.
| | Stay updated with Lutheran publications | | | | If you’re looking for inspiring stories and updates about the ELCA and happenings around the world, be sure to check out the Living Lutheran magazine. Just click here. | | | | If you’d like to stay connected with what’s going on in South Carolina, don’t miss the weekly newsletter from the South Carolina Synod, the Lutheran Living in South Carolina eNews. Just click here to read it. Enjoy! | | How Can I Give to Pilgrim? | | |
We offer multiple ways to give that make supporting us easy and convenient. You can give in person, visit us online at www.wearepilgrim.com, send your donation by mail to Pilgrim Lutheran Church, 1430 N. Lake Drive, Lexington, SC 29072, or set up recurring giving with Simply Giving, our electronic automatic giving.
As you think about your contributions, please consider electronic giving. It’s simple, reliable, and helps us plan better for the future. With Simply Giving, your donation is ready to go toward our ministry needs right away, and it also involves fewer fees than online credit card donations.
| | |
Worship Service Volunteers, please read!
You can view the 2026 list of Worship Volunteers in the schedule here. It is always a work in progress. If you notice an error or suspect a conflict, please notify us. We need your help keeping up with them.
Remember, if you can’t cover your assigned job, please find someone to take your place. If you ask, other volunteers will swap weeks with you. Then, once you’ve found someone to take your place, call or text Courtney Coker in the office, and she can make those needed changes online, in Pilgrim’s Progress, and in the Sunday Bulletin.
May 3, 2026, 10 a.m.
Worship Assistant — Lou Galloway
Ushers — Jimmy Smith and David Marshall
Communion Assistants — Wally and Delores Steinhauser
Counters — Scott Grosse and Melissa Hendrix
Hospitality Table — Need Volunteer
Children’s Time — Need Volunteer and Terri Lemke
May 10, 2026, 10 a.m.
Worship Assistant — Ricky Wingard
Ushers — Delores and Wally Steinhauser
Communion Assistants — Myron Corley and Lou Galloway
Counters — Melissa Hendrix and Delores Steinhauser
Hospitality Table — N/A Mother’s Day
Children’s Time — Jackie Kaminer and Lou Galloway
May 17, 2026, 10 a.m.
Worship Assistant — Jamy Claire Archer
Ushers — Scott Grosse and Ricky Wingard
Communion Assistants — Mary Beth Hill and Becky Wingard
Counters — Don and Jamie Kosanka
Hospitality Table — Lou Galloway
Children’s Time — Allison Hallman and Need Volunteer
May 24, 2026, 10 a.m.
Worship Assistant — Kathy Boivin
Ushers — Tyler Mears and Brenda Sommer
Communion Assistants — Margie Bundrick and Kathleen Shutt
Counters — Delores Steinhauser and Todd Hendrix
Hospitality Table — Need Volunteer
Children’s Time — Ryan Mears and Need Volunteer
May 31, 2026, 10 a.m.
Worship Assistant — Kristin Dashiell
Ushers — Joe Kaminer and Brenda Sommer
Communion Assistants — David and Jane Park
Counters — Jamie Kosanka and Wally Steinhauser
Hospitality Table — Need Volunteer
Children’s Time — Jackie Kaminer and Need Volunteer
| | |
Pilgrim’s Prayer List
Alan Addy
Myra Boyd
Mary Ann Crawshaw
Norma Drafts
Claudine Hope
Jimmy Metts
Bill Sanders
Greg Sommer
For Cameron James Struthers on his baptismal day!
Friends of Pilgrim
Bishop Ginny Aebischer
Joyce Czarnecki
Pamela Francis’ mother
Ben Green, Greg Sommer’s brother-in-law
Nadine Greene, friend of Karl and Carolyn Horner
Tina Krause, friend of Pastor Mary
Lars, Brenda Sommer’s Nephew
Eileen and Ronnie Leaphart, dear friends of Myron and Linda Corley
Louise Newton, friend of Ricky and Becky Wingard
Jill Sanders, Wally and Delores Steinhauser’s cousin-in-law
Trey Soud, friend of Wally and Delores Steinhauser
Louise Velky, the newest member of Mary Beth Hill’s family, as she has been in and out of the hospital.
Pastor Carl and Debra Yost, as his health struggles continue.
Please contact the church office if you would like someone added or removed from the prayer list.
| | Worship is at 10 a.m. each Sunday. | | |
Scriptures for this Sunday
The First Reading: Acts 7:55-60
Psalm: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
The Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10
Gospel: John 14:1-14
| | Worship Service replay from Sunday, April 26, 2026 | | | | |
