WEEKLY UPDATE
A Note from Director of Music and Organist Deke Polifka
Dear St. Paul’s,

“Where cross the crowded ways of life, where sound the cries of race and clan, above the noise of selfish strife, we hear thy voice, O Son of Man.”
-Frank Mason North (Hymn #609)

When it rains, it pours – the old expression has certainly been true in Charlottesville lately. In the life of St. Paul’s, this applies in a more positive way. If you have been around in recent weeks, you’ve noticed a lot of things going on! Our church is bustling with reinvigorated programs for children and youth, new Canterbury students, acolytes and choristers. A new website is being constructed, rooms have been cleaned out, the organ is being worked on, the exterior has been painted – these are just a few of the many happenings as we begin the program year.

While this is all quite exciting and absolutely necessary, our busyness can make it difficult to find the center, or the “still small voice.” As a musician, I’m usually able to find this through the music I experience, despite other life stresses and challenges that are going on. In recent weeks, there have been moments of overwhelming beauty in the worship services and rehearsals I’ve been a part of at St. Paul’s. Voices of all ages lifting through the chapel, a phrase well-sung by the choir, a rousing final verse at the close of Sunday worship – these are the kinds of moments that sustain me through hectic times. As we work diligently to build up our community and to strengthen our ministry, let us continue to listen for God's voice, and to be nourished and renewed by our worship together.

- Deke
This Sunday at St. Paul's
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
(Readings: Proverbs 31:10-31 / Psalm 1 / Mark 9:30-37)

8 a.m. – Holy Eucharist in the Chapel (quiet, traditional)

9 a.m. – Feasting on the Word: An exploration of this week's readings in preparation for the 10 a.m. Eucharist. Parishioners, friends, and visitors all welcome. (library)

9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Nursery Care: birth - kindergarten (Sunday school wing)

10 a.m. –  Holy Eucharist with Choir (festive, intergenerational)

11:15 a.m. – Adult Forum: The last 18 months / the next 18 months (parish hall)

11:15 p.m. – Sunday School: pre-K - 5th grade (Sunday school wing)

11:15 p.m. – Youth Group: 6th - 8th grade (Junior High Youth Group) and 9th - 12th grade (Senior High Youth Group) (Sunday school wing)

1 p.m. – 20s and 30s Potluck Picnic (King Family Vineyards) (details below)

3:30 p.m. – Youth Group Adventure Time (parish hall) (details below)

5:30 p.m. – Evening Eucharist in the Chapel (informal, candlelit)

6:30 p.m. – Canterbury Sunday Supper: Casual meal and conversation, free and open to all undergraduate students (lounge)

Music Notes

For this Sunday and several more, the organ will be significantly underpowered. The A. Thompson-Allen firm has been working at St. Paul’s all week, and has taken the pedal wind reservoir and 488 of the instrument’s 2,621 pipes back with them to New Haven, CT for restoration. These pipes, ranging from pencil-sized to 8 feet tall, will be cleaned, repaired and re-voiced, in preparation for their return to St. Paul’s in mid-October. At that time, all of the 1926 E.M. Skinner’s original pipework will be back in the instrument and playable, for the first time in many decades. While this is in no way a complete restoration of our historic organ, this significant project makes some large strides in the reliability and effectiveness of the instrument. As we look forward to the completion of this project, you may notice that the organ is without most of its low-pitched sounds (which need the pedal reservoir to function) and strong stops for leading the congregation. Meanwhile, you can enjoy some beautiful piano music, by Sergei Rachmaninoff, before and after the service.
Next Week at St. Paul's
Monday, September 24, 9 p.m. – Compline (chancel)

Tuesday, September 25, 12:15 p.m. – Holy Eucharist (chapel)

Tuesday, September 25, 7 p.m. – IMPACT Listening Session (John Frazee’s home) (details below)

Wednesday, September 26, 4:30 p.m. – Junior Choir Rehearsal (choir room)

Wednesday, September 26, 5:30 p.m. – Evening Prayer, with homily by Music Director Deke Polifka (brief, informal, all ages)

Wednesday, September 26, 6 p.m. – Dinner for all (parish hall)

Wednesday, September 26, 6:15 p.m. – Canterbury Fellowship Gathering (Canterbury house)

Thursday, September 27, 7:30 a.m. – Bible Study (library)
(Contact Jody Lahendro: jdl7d@virginia.edu)

Sunday, September 30 – Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
St. Paul's News and Notes
Give thanks for the life of Jane Rotch – Jane Rotch, a faithful leader at St. Paul's over several decades, died Tuesday evening in Boston, with children and grandchildren singing hymns at her bedside. Jane transferred her membership here from St. Paul's, Norwalk, Connecticut in 1959. In the years since, alongside her late husband Bill, she served cheerfully and generously in too many ministries and leadership roles to count. Jane served multiple terms on the Vestry, and was a committed choir member for decades, including as recently as this summer. A few weeks ago, she fell ill near the end of a family vacation in Cape Cod, and had been hospitalized in Boston since then. Funeral arrangements, not yet finalized, will be published soon.

Responding to Hurricane Florence – Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is working with partners to provide critical support for the most vulnerable communities affected by Hurricane Florence. Donate by check to St. Paul’s (with “Hurricane Relief” in the memo) or online at www.episcopalrelief.org.

Fall 2018 Brochure – Check out our Fall 2018 brochure to learn about what's going on at St. Paul's this fall!

Mutual Ministry Review – The Diocese of Virginia encourages parishes and rectors to engage periodically in a process of “mutual ministry review.” The process creates opportunity for reflection about our shared work of building a thriving church community and vital parish ministries. As part of this experience, the Vestry, rector and staff will be contemplating these two questions in the coming weeks:
  1. What are some of our best successes since Will started as rector over a year and a half ago?
  2. What are areas for growth and/or places where St. Paul’s can sharpen our focus?
Parishioners are also invited to share responses to these questions with Junior Warden Erika Viccellio, who is leading this process. To participate, email her at erikaviccellio@gmail.com. Responses will be collected through September 24 and aggregated into a summary report. All responses will be anonymous (de-identified) and treated confidentially.

20s and 30s Potluck Picnic – St. Paul's 20s and 30s will kick off the fall at King Family Vineyards in Crozet this Sunday, September 23, at 1 p.m. Meet up under the trees by the barn, and bring something to share and a blanket for picnicking. Contact Rachel Teubner (rkt4hv@virginia.edu) for more information or to be added to the 20s and 30s email list.

Youth Group Adventure Time – The Youth Group will have its first event of the season this Sunday, September 23: a Harry Potter-themed "adventure"! It will be part scavenger hunt, part mystery, and all fun. The event will involve problem-solving, trivia, a scavenger hunt, and team-building activities. All middle-schoolers and high-schoolers are encouraged to join in the fun. Bring your wands and robes and meet in the parish hall at 3:30 p.m. There will be opportunities for older students to help run the games for the younger kids. The event will wrap up before the 5:30 p.m. service. Please contact Youth Group Adventure Time Coordinator Jean Lorber (jlorber4@gmail.com) with any questions.

IMPACT Listening Session – Add your voice! Hear about justice in Charlottesville! On Tuesday, September 25 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., John Frazee will host a listening session for IMPACT at his home at 1404 E Market Street. St. Paul's and the other 26 member congregations of IMPACT have spent over 10 years advocating for justice in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Come to learn about their progress on affordable housing, and share your stories, reflections and prayers. RSVP: john.g.frazee@gmail.com.

Altar Guild Luncheon Reception and Information Session – Members of the Altar Guild make it a part of their spiritual practice to prepare the church and the altar for worship. They are responsible for the bread, the wine, all the communion vessels, the seasonal hangings, and of course the altar itself. Interested parishioners are invited to learn more about Altar Guild ministry over lunch on Sunday, September 30, from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m., at the home of Altar Guild co-chair Janet Hendrix. No commitment is necessary, only curiosity. RSVP to jhendrix3507@gmail.com by Thursday, September 27 for the address and directions.

Blessing of the Animals – On Wednesday, October 3, we’ll celebrate St. Francis Day at the 5:30 p.m. service with a Blessing of the Animals. The Junior Choir will be singing at this service. All creatures great and small (as well as stuffed or photographed) are invited for blessing, and all humans great and small are welcome to stay for dinner.

Eucharistic Visiting Lunch and Information Session – At the end of the 10 a.m. service each week, Eucharistic visitors receive consecrated bread and wine in order to include parishioners who are ill or homebound in our weekly sacramental fellowship by taking communion to them. To learn more about this ministry, or to explore whether or not you might like to participate, please join the Rector and current Eucharistic visitors for lunch in the church lounge on Sunday, October 14, at 12:30 p.m. RSVP to Alice Fitch at the church office, (alice.fitch@spmcuva.org or 434-295-2156) so we can get a head count for lunch.

Nurturing St. Paul's Partnership in Haiti – While UVA is on fall break in early October, St. Paul's will pay our second visit to the Episcopal community of Kris Roi (Christ the King) in Leger, Haiti. We will be represented by parishioners Mary Preston, a physician who was part of the exploratory visit last fall, and Pat Punch, whose engineering expertise we hope will be helpful in implementing a water-pumping project initiated by St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. Traveling with Pat and Mary will be one or two of our Canterbury undergraduate leaders. Our developing partnership with Kris Roi is evolving quickly! More information soon!

African Development Project (ADP) Update – Over the past 33 years ADP has partnered with specific groups in Kenya and Uganda to enable them to improve their health, income, and education—with some of their leaders visiting here and some ADP supporters visiting there, including Kelli Olson and Cindy Cartwright last summer. A full report on recent developments in the projects ADP helps to support can be found here.

Stewardship 2018 – Is St. Paul’s your church? We’ll soon be talking about 2019 pledges. But if you haven’t made a 2018 pledge, it’s not too late... and unfortunately, you’re not alone! An annual financial commitment to your parish church is an important component of membership. If you’re new, or if you’re unsure about your relationship with St. Paul’s, you are welcome to visit for as long as you need—weeks, months, or even years—to reach clarity about whether or not to commit. But if you identify as a member of St. Paul’s, that relationship should be sealed with an annual financial commitment in an amount that is meaningful in the context of your personal or household budget, whether that means three figures or six. Call or email the church office (office@spmcuva.org, 434-295-2156) for a pledge card.

Looking Forward to a Brand-New Website – St. Paul’s staff have been working busily for several months with a web developer to build a new website that will be more useful and invitational for visitors and church-shoppers, and easier to maintain in the context of our current staff structure. In the meantime, our old site, built on an outdated and insecure platform, was subject to repeated hacks and crashes. Rather than continue to repair the old site while working on the new one, we’ve put up a temporary site at www.spmcuva.org.
Children's and Youth Ministry Update
Our first Sunday of Christian Education classes for all ages was a great success. Approximately 50 kids were in the nursery, Sunday School, and Youth Group!
Prayers of the Parish
Holding each other's joys, sorrows and concerns before God in prayer is a spiritual practice that characterizes our life together at St. Paul's. In our worship services we pray each other's prayers together. Outside of our time together many parishioners make it part of their daily lives to pray the prayers of the parish community. You are invited to participate in your own way.

Thanks be to God

for the marriage last Saturday of Hannah Burgess (daughter of Heather Warren) & William Vaughn.

for the successful launch of our Sunday school and youth group classes, and for the dedication of the more than twenty parishioners who have volunteered to work with our children and youth this year.

for the hospitality ministry of Melanie Rightmyer and her team of junior choir parent helpers, who prepared our Wednesday night dinner this week.

for the faith and generosity of all who support the life and ministries of St. Paul's, including more than 235 households who have made financial commitments for 2018.

Godspeed and blessings

to Richard Potter, acolyte, member of the Altar Guild, Skinner Scholar, and lifelong St. Paul's parishioner, as he moves to Washington, DC this month to begin his career in consulting.

Your prayers are requested

for members and friends of the parish who are sick, sorrowful, or in any kind of trouble, including David Nelson, Anne, Evelyn, Robert & Dorothy, Anne, Mary Elizabeth Beck, Ruth, Guy & Mary Ann Miller, David, Lila M., the Barbour family, Ronald, Pierce, Doug, Lana, Libba, Finley & his family, Thomas, Jim, Matti, Bob, John, Tiffany Gordon, Jaimin Silman, John Ritchie, Debby Strzepek, Susan, Beverley & Bob, Vickie, Lynda, Sharon, Shirley Wright, Christine & Julian, Jim, Joyce , Jason, Julie Sayler.

for Lawrence Elliott, as he prepares to be ordained a Deacon on September 29 in Virginia Beach.

for the renovation of our children's and youth ministries; for Renovation Team members Eleanor Hoppe, David Litherland, Jennifer Minetree, Frank Rambo, and Leah Wise; and for our Ministry Architects consultants Mary Beth Abplanalp and Dennis Steeger.

for the Rev. Mark Wastler, as he prepares to begin his work here as University Chaplain and Associate Rector on October 28.

for our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, as he prepares to retire in November, and for the ministry we share with more than eighty thousand Episcopalians and nearly two hundred congregations as the Diocese of Virginia.

for all who suffer in the wake of recent hurricanes, including the bereaved and the homeless.

for Kris Roi Episcopal Church and School in Leger, Haiti, our growing partnership with them, and parishioners who will visit next month, including Lachlan Hassman, Mary Preston, and Pat Punch.

for our city and community and nation; for the victims of racism, injustice, and oppression; and for all who serve the common good in law enforcement and the courts.

for St. Matthew's, Sterling; St. Paul's, Haymarket; and St. Stephen's, Culpeper, according to the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer.

for the people and ministries of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, according to the Anglican Cycle of Prayer.

We commend to God’s never-failing care

victims of violence and warfare throughout the world, including migrants and refugees who have died fleeing danger.

all whom we love but see no more, including Jane Rotch.

Mary and Whit Dennison, in whose loving memory this Sunday's flowers are given.