St. Paul's News

February 22, 2015

To enhance our communication at St. Paul's about all the wonderful things that God is doing at our church, you can send to one email (Communication@StPaulsELC.org) and this will go to everyone who needs it! Thank you!

Get Involved And Grow In Your Faith by using the insert in the bulletin or use the online survey at www.StPaulsELC.org/getinvolved.

There will be a First Communion Class on Saturday March 28, for Children in Grades 2 and up. Join us from 9 AM-12 Noon in the Multipurpose Room. One parent must attend. Children will celebrate their First Communion on Maundy Thursday, April 2. For more information, contact Pastor Stuart, pastor@stpaulselc.org.

Lenten Soup and Study

Wednesdays, Feb 25-Mar 25 at 6 pm

Come enjoy a home cooked soup supper with a great study and conversation around the themes of the worship series, "Handy Ways to Grow in Faith!" If you would like to make a soup, the sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the narthex.

Last week the attendance was 55 and the

offering received was $5,679. This offering supports the mission and ministry of St. Paul's. If you are newly visiting, please don't feel obligated to place anything in the plate, we're just glad you're here! (On average, we need $5,000 a week to minimally function.) You can use your Smart Phone to give by scanning this this code!

The Quilters will meet Wednesday February 25th at 9 AM in the quilters room. We need lots of hands to tie quilts for LWR. Also please take a quilt top or two home to sew. Lots of tops in the basket in back of church. When you are doing your spring cleaning remember: we need donations of clean used blankets, flannel sheets, mattress pads and materials for use in our quilting projects.

New Members Classes Start Sunday, March 1 at 7:00 pm and will run through March 29! This will be a great chance to make some friends and learn about growing your faith at St. Paul's!!! Please email PastorStuart@StPaulsELC.org if you'd like to come or would like more information!

Come One, Come All...Are you serving on council, a new Sunday school teacher, a youth volunteer? You must attend Reducing the Risk. Next date is Sunday, March 1 at 12:15-1:30pm in the Multipurpose Room. Light luncheon provided. Please call the church office 410-272-3111 and let Eva or Becky know you will be attending.

Friday, March 6, is World Day of Prayer. It is sponsored by the ladies at Grove Presbyterian Church, 50 East Bel Air Avenue, Aberdeen, at 12:00 PM. World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday in March. World Day of Prayer was founded on the idea that prayer and action are inseparable. Services begin at sunrise in the Pacific and follow the sun across the globe on the day of celebration. Each year a different country's World Day of Prayer committee serves as the writers of the worship service. This year the prayer service is written by the women of The Bahamas, which draws us into a study of Jesus' radical love as he washes the disciples' feet. Invite your friends and family to join the women of The Bahamas in prayer and song to support ecumenical efforts toward welcoming the stranger. If you have any questions, please call the church at (410) 272-0896.

We are looking for a dedicated group of people to help open the church on Sunday mornings. If you are one of these people, please contact Jim Gosweiler (410-893-6552) or Mike Wilson (410-836-9413).

"A Message from the Intentional Faith Development Team"

In order to grow any living thing, you need to provide care and feeding, whether it be sun, good soil and water for a plant; or food and love for a child. The same is true for our faith. In order for your faith to grow, you need to be a part of a church community, attend worship and participate in a small group. Your relationship with God will not grow deeper or stronger if you leave your nurturing to only one hour a week on Sunday morning.

St Paul's is offering a way to help you grow your relationship with God by offering a small group series tied to Pastor Stuart's Lenten sermon series "Handy" beginning Feb 25. Join us starting at 6 pm for soup and fellowship followed by a small group discussion expanding on the previous Sunday's sermon. The group will be facilitated by Pastor Stuart. Come hungry for the body as well as the Spirit! Just like Lay's potato chips, "betcha cant attend just one"!

"Intentional Faith Development Team Co-Chairs, Lee Ann Brainard and Kim Shumaker"

Time to Order Your Easter Flowers...

Forms are located in your bulletin or on the table

in the narthex. Orders are due by Sunday, March 15.

If you have any questions, contact the office.

Cards of Get Well needed for:

Gisela Knapp, who fell and fractured her hip. She is in Citizens Care Center (415 Market Street, Room 11B, Havre de Grace, MD 21078).

Nancy Quinn-shoulder surgery. She is at Genesis Health Care (One Price Drive, Room 116B, Elkton, MD 21921)

The FISH closet needs the following: Instant Oatmeal, spaghetti sauce only, peanut butter & Jelly, macaroni & cheese, and pancake syrup.

Thank You...

Dear St. Paul's Friends,

Many thanks to all who have prayed for me during my knee replacement surgery and also the recovery. Your cards, phone calls and visits have meant so much and I know that all of these prayers and kind thoughts have helped to make this a positive event in my life.

With love,

Lois Wright

Vacation Bible School is coming! Mark your Calendars for the week of June 22-26. More information to follow.

Our Space Youth Group meets Sundays from 5-6:30 PM in the Youth Lounge. This Sunday there will be a special youth celebration of Ashes and Dust. For any questions, contact PastorStuart@StPaulsELC.org.

Join us for Youth Groups: Launch (grades 1-5) and Quest (grades 6-8) meet every 2nd & 4th Sunday from12:30-2:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Any questions call the church office, 410-272-3111.

Children's Chimes/Bell rehearsals will begin on Sunday March 1 at 12:30 PM for Easter. It is open to kid's grades 1-8. If you are interested, contact Jenn Savin, at corpquad@zoominternet.net

Serving Today	9:00 am	11:00 am
Worship Assistant	Dona Bushong	Jim Shumaker
Next Sun, Mar 1	Peggy Dymond	Christy Ward
Greeters	J Goodenow, M Wilson	B Pastelak, K Thames
	J Rodriguez	J Turner
Ushers	B Miller, S Miller	L Brainard, J Turner
	P Vandrey, B Ward	J, K & K Shumaker
Projectionist	W Clifford	A Smith
Next Sun, Mar 1	J Gerkin	S Morin
Nursery	Carol Wier
Communion Setup	W Taylor, W Clifford
Altar Guild	T Gross, P Morris
Counters	B Clifford, J Jacob
Communion Clean-Up

This Weeks Calendar At a Glance

Sunday, Feb 22
9:00 AM	Traditional Worship
10:00 AM	Sunday School
11:00 AM	Contemporary Worship
12:30 PM	Launch, Quest Youth Groups
12:30 PM	Lioness Meeting-Multipurpose Room
5:00 PM	Our Space High School Youth Group

Monday, Feb 23
6:00 PM	Upper Chesapeake Choir-Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, Feb 24
8:30 AM	AARP Tax Service-Multipurpose Room
9:00 AM	Meals On Wheels-Fellowship Hall
12:30 PM	Staff Meeting
6:00 PM	Girl Scouts-Room 3/4
6:00 PM	Fishers of Men & Women-Fellowship Hall
7:00 PM	Bible Study-Library

Wednesday, Feb 25
9:00 AM	Quilters-Room 1/2
6:00 PM	National Youth Gathering Meeting-MPR
6:00 PM	Soup Supper-Fellowship Hall
6:15 PM	Girl Scouts-Room 1/2
6:30 PM	Lenten Bible Study
7:00 PM	Open Table

Thursday, Feb 26
7:00 PM	Girl Scouts Room 3/4
7:15 PM	Chancel Choir Practice

Friday, Feb 27
6:00 PM	Agape Party-Fellowship Hall

Saturday, Feb 28
8:00 AM	J Shumaker-Fellowship Hall

Sunday, March 1
9:00 AM	Traditional Worship
10:00 AM	Sunday School
11:00 AM	Contemporary Worship
12:00 PM	Vision Team Meeting-MPR
12:15 PM	Reducing the Risk-Choir Room
5:00 PM	Our Space Youth Group
7:00 PM	New Members Class-MPR

Holy Week Schedule

Palm Sunday, March 29

9:00 AM & 11:00 AM Services

Maundy Thursday, April 2

7:00 PM

Children will receive their First Communion

Good Friday, April 3

7:00 PM

Easter Festival Services, April 5

Traditional, 9:00 AM

Contemporary, 11:00 AM

and we will Decorate the Easter Cross with fresh flowers during the Sunday School Hour

10:00 AM

I plan to use this back page of the bulletin to share thoughts and questions that I hope will be a blessing! Sometimes this might be a new question (ask if you have one!) or in this case, a question I answered when I first came to serve St. Paul's, but some might have missed. One that I hear every once in a while is, "Pastor Stuart, why don't you preach from the pulpit or wear robes?"

Both are symbols of a pastor being, "set apart." In the history of the church this "set apart" emphasized the role of pastor or priest as the spiritual leader. Although certainly the role of a pastor is unique, my goal in leading worship and preaching is to be authentic and relevant to all of our lives. Just like you, I'm trying to follow Jesus, led and guided by the wisdom of the Bible, revealed by the Holy Spirit. The longer I'm a pastor, the more the pulpit and robes seem to get in the way of honest communication. If you were going to a parent, mentor or friend for Godly advice, would you want them to stand in a pulpit or put on special clothes? Quite the opposite, you would probably want them to sit down with you and honestly share some of God's wisdom. In fact, watch any of the most effective Christian communicators of our day and few of them wear robes or preach from a pulpit. In fact they often use certain techniques to connect more effectively like Andy Stanley preaching while seated at a table, Rick Warren preaching in a Hawaiian shirt and Joel Osteen starting with a joke. They are great communicators because they desire first and foremost to connect with people and that's my desire as well!

My compromise at St. Paul's has been to wear a clerical shirt for the traditional service, which does denote the office of pastor, but which also looks closer to "normal" dress. My hope is this will bridge the gap between the traditions of the past and the communication needs of the future!

God Bless!