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REGISTRATIONS ARE
NOW BEING ACCEPTED
Vacation Bible School Aug. 3-7 from 6-8 pm
The joint Vacation Bible School offered by First Lutheran and St. Paul's is now accepting registrations. Children 6-12 are eligible for the free program. It will operate from 6-8 pm August 3-7 in the St. Paul's Scout Hall. Those wishing to register a child for the Vacation Bible School should call the church office at 845 452 8440 and leave the following message on the recording: parent or guardian's name, child's name, child's date of birth and gender, and a telephone number for contacting the parent/guardian for confirmation.
The shepherd and the flock
Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23;
Ephesians 2:11-22; Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
On Sunday our readings are concerned with the flock of the faithful and its leadership by the shepherd. We are accustomed to images of the good shepherd, but our Jeremiah reading introduces the idea of a shepherd who would "...destroy and scatter" the flock of sheep of God. This serves both as a warning to those who would distort the message of fidelity to God and also a warning to us to watch out for that happening. Be alert!
The 23rd Psalm is of course everyone's favorite psalm because it reminds us of what we can depend upon in God when we set aside all the other concerns and distractions that can occupy our lives.
In our reading from the Letter to the Ephesians Paul proclaims that Jesus recreated the flock of the faithful as those who follow him. We are re-established as a flock and he is our shepherd.
Finally, our Gospel reading reminds us of the powerful ministry of Jesus, who healed the sick and lifted up the lowly and fed the five thousand, although the feeding part is left out of Sunday's lesson; it occurs in the gap between verses 34 and 53.
These are the hymns for Sunday:
516 Come down o Love divine (Down Ampney)
494 Crown him with many crowns (Diademata) 2/2
325 Let us break bread together on our knees (Let us Break Bread)
525 The church's one foundation (Aurelia)
$11,700 Grant for Food Pantry
St. Paul's Poughkeepsie Food Pantry has been awarded an $11,700 grant - the largest in its history -- from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. The grant has been allocated to our account at the Food Bank as of July 1 and will be used as a line of credit to pay for food to needy clients. St. Paul's Food Pantry purchases most of its food from the Food Bank, headquartered in Latham, which operates as a co-op. The money for the grant comes from the State of New York's Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), which is funded each year by the state legislature.
St. Paul's Food Pantry became a member of the Regional Food Bank in 2006. Its first HPNAP grant, for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, was $1,700. The following year, it was only $700. Since then, with one exception, the grant has increased each year. We could not function effectively without our membership and the annual HPNAP grant.
To maintain its status as a member of the Food Bank in good standing, our Food Pantry must provide statistics each month on the number of persons served and must pass regular inspections. The Outreach Committee will be providing articles on our mission-driven Food Pantry in future installments of the St. Paul's Messenger.
Your mission, should you decide to accept it
Last week I asked what you wanted to know. This week my question is "What will you do?"
Even though we are in a good place at St. Paul's, with the Parish Hall project moving forward, the new carpet, and a "new" year (meaning fall, we have a lot to do. It is time to plan for renewal and commitment here at St. Paul's. That requires a lot of work and active participation by us all.
I will becontacting all committee chairs about this to determine what the committees plan for the coming year. But it is important for everyone-not just Vestry and Committee chairs-- to take ownership and be part of building our future. So I am putting it out there: How will you help?
There were a lot of ideas, new and existing ideas, for change at St. Paul's. So let me ask you:
--Will you help to develop nursery care for families with infants and toddlers?
--Will you help with the young people in our parish? (education, and activities for example)?
--If you're one of the "young people": what will you do? You are part of the parish and have earned your place at the table in for creating our future.
--If you're involved in a committee, will you make suggestions for mission-driven work the committee might engage in?
Our parish intends to re-focus on its mission and being mission-driven. To give you a sense of the mission imperative, the following framework may help. It is titled, "Five Marks of Mission" from our Anglican Communion:
To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom (word and Deed)
To teach, baptize and nurture new believers
To respond to human need by loving service
To seek to transform unjust structures in society
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth
There is something here for everybody,
You see, there is something there for everyone!
What will you do? --Warden Pete Bedrossian
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