November 2011

Dear Friends in Christ,

This month at St. Paul's we are entering into a season of Thanksgiving. We are also entering into a time of budget preparation for 2012, which is why you have received (or will receive shortly) our annual fall pledge letter and pledge card.  

I don't know about you, but thinking about the church budget is not the main reason I give to St. Paul's. In fact, to be perfectly honest, I don't think about budgets much at all when I am spending my money anywhere. We do discuss as a family each month how much money we can spend and still live within our means. We make sure we set aside a little every month into our savings account for a rainy day. We make sure we set aside enough to pay our bills. But when it actually comes down to where we spend our discretionary income we strive to spend our money where we think it will do the most good based on the values of our family. Our priorities (in no particular order) are God, God's people (The Church), our family, and our overall health and wellbeing.

Of course, sometimes we find ourselves spending money on frivolous things like fast food that really don't align with our priorities. That's why we find examining the stewardship of the money we have been blessed with such a fruitful exercise. We also find these conversations to be very helpful when we look at our calendar and decide where we will spend our time every month. These conversations often turn into living prayers about what new talents God may be calling forth from us. If you had told me six months ago I would turn into an avid runner, I would have laughed! But, as it turns out this was a talent laying long dormant within me. I'm now a healthier and happier mother, wife, priest, and child of God as a result of responding to the Spirit's nudge (or shove, depending on the day) into running.  

Taking the time to talk, often nightly around the dinner table, helps us get back on the track of good stewardship when we find ourselves straying from our priorities. We remind ourselves that we value using our resources of time, talent, and treasure in a way that reflects our thankfulness for everything that God has given us. And every good thing we have comes from God.

It is with thankful hearts that we write our check to the mission of the Church at St. Paul's each month. We feel truly blessed to have been called to this spiritual journey with you. Oscar and Rowan have never had such a good time at church! Our check to St. Paul's is the first we write every month. And we write it in thanksgiving for the laughter of our children on Sunday mornings, for their energetic voices in the children's choir, for the friendships they have made with the other kids at St. Paul's and with those who are kids at heart, for the theologians and lovers of God's Word they are becoming through the blessing of our Godly Play Sunday School teachers, and for the enhanced spiritual life of our family in our everyday prayers--it's all thanks to the Holy Spirit at work through the people who are St. Paul's. (Rich and I are also having a great time with the other grown-ups as well, but that story is for another time!)

I am so grateful for each and every one of you. And I know that God is at work in your lives too. I invite you to lift up the blessings of life that you are thankful for during this Season of Thanksgiving. We will have ribbons available at a creative station in the parish hall in early November to make a visual prayer of our thanksgivings as the Church of St. Paul. Every one of every age and ability is invited to write on and decorate a ribbon. We will present these prayers visually and verbally, along with our pledge cards at the celebratory close of our Season of Thanksgiving on Christ the King Sunday, November 20th, 2011.  See you then! 

In Christ,

Rev. Stacy+ 

Follow Rev. Stacy's Blog at cryoftheindigobunting.blogspot.com

The Stewardship Team at St. Paul's is sponsoring a Season of Thanksgiving from Sunday, October 30th through Sunday, November 20th, 2011.  Please prayerfully consider how you will support the ministries of St. Paul's in the year to come.  Living lives of stewardship and thanksgiving are the themes that we are focusing on during our Sunday celebrations of the Holy Eucharists (aka The Great Thanksgiving) in this season. 

On October 3, 2011, St. Paul's received a generous donation from the estate of Charles and Mary Roberts.  This donation was in the sum of $275,200.  We, at St. Paul's, would like to take this time to say a very special "thank you" to the Roberts family and to God for this gift. Words truly cannot express our gratitude!    

On Sunday, October 9, 2011, parishoners donated 133 items and $50 in cash to the Salvation Army Food Pantry, bringing St. Paul's total donations year-to-date to 1309 items, as well as two baskets of fresh vegetables, and $50 in cash.

St. Paul's has been generous with its donations in the past. However, we encourage parishioners to consider making more consistent contributions. If you forget to bring your offering on Food Pantry Sunday (Second Sunday of each month), just bring your food any time and place it in one of the baskets. This is a ministry that St. Paul's can grow and it really does not have to cost anyone a lot of money. Please consider bringing some contribution, no matter how small. If you don't have time to shop, drop a designated donation for the Food Pantry by the parish office or in the collection plate and we will shop for you.

Remember, a big part of our Christian action in living into the mission or the Church is to help those less fortunate than we are.

The Second Sunday of each month we offer our donations to the food pantry before the altar at the Holy Eucharist. Non-perishable food items (no glass jars, please) and monetary donations can be dropped off on any Sunday, or at the parish office Monday through Thursday, 9AM-2PM. For further information please contact Pat and Vince at (815) 758-1575.

All Bibles are welcome at Soup for the Soul!

Our Soup for the Soul session last Epiphany and Lent was so popular we have decided to make this a regular event at St. Paul's.  Our first session for the 2011-2012 program year will be an Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew using resources from The Thoughtful Christian.  Bring whatever Bible you enjoy reading.  If you don't have a Bible, one will be provided for you. Rev. Stacy recommends the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) if you are looking to purchase a new Bible.   

We will gather Wednesday nights in the Parish Hall at 5:45PM for a potluck soup supper.  Program for adults and youth will run from 6:15-7:15PM.  Childcare will be provided for our youngest members. 

Sign up sheets for the potlucks are available in the parish hall.  Sign up today!

And mark your calendars for our next two sessions also on Wednesday evenings at St. Paul's:

Lent:  February 29-March 28, 2012  Introduction to the Gospel of Mark

Eastertide:  April 18-May 16, 2012  Introduction to the Gospel of Luke 

Questions?  Contact Rev. Stacy at (815)-756-4888 or revstacy@stpaulsdekalb.org  

                                                         November Birthdays 

             3- Clifford Cleland

             3- Mary Keleher

             3- George Nenonen

             3- Jennifer Sitzes

             6- Robert Harkness
           10- Kathleen Johnson

           18- Nora Duffy

           18- Rev. Stacy Walker-Frontjes

           22- Riley Newport

           23- Craig Abbott 

 

          November Anniversaries    

           12- Lonnie & Gail Piper     

           19- Glenn & Sue Ouellette