St. Paul's Episcopal Church 301 E. Stuart Street, Fort Collins, CO 80525 Phone: 970-482-2668 Email: [email protected] - Website: www.stpauls-fc.org View as Webpage

Please come and share… This week your wardens met with the leaders of the congregations with whom we share worship space: Trinity Lutheran Church and Mary of Magdala Ecumenical Catholic Church. This is a bi-monthly regular meeting at which we discuss items of mutual interest and concern. A major topic of this month’s meeting was visioning for the future. We heard from both of our sharing partners that they are excited about the possibility of continuing to share this space and continuing to develop shared outreach and common mission, while maintaining our individual identities. This was good to hear concretely as we are beginning to seek more information to enter into a Place Evaluation Guide (PEG) developed to assist our complex Place decision. As announced last week, small Discussion Groups have been set up so we can both share the Guide and seek input from parishioners. If you have not already signed up to come to a Discussion Group, please do so if at all possible.

"Place" Discussion Groups: Group size is limited to 10 people to give everyone a chance to be heard and to ask questions. Additional Groups will be set up if we run out of space. Clipboards for sign up are available on the table beneath our bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. The following Discussion Groups are currently available: Saturday, May 4, 9:30 am at Trinity Church - Room 8 (across from the Admin office) Sunday, May 5, 10:45 am, Charlie and Anita Basham’s home, 1221 Green St., Fort Collins Thursday, May 9, 6:30 pm Harmony Library Community Room (corner of Harmony and Shields.) Monday, May 13, 6:30 pm Poudre Fire Authority meeting room (corner of Mountain and Remington - Parking garage building) Wednesday, May 15, 3 pm Trinity Church, Room 8 The Committee wants and needs to hear from everyone – new to St. Paul’s? long time member? young? old? We need all of you; God needs all of you to help discern God’s will for St. Paul’s Place.

Habitat for Humanity Homes St Paul's is partnering with Trinity Lutheran and other faith communities in Fort Collins to build Habitat for Humanity homes for families in need of secure, affordable housing. The families selected for the two 2019 Faith Builds are headed up by amazing women. This week, learn about  Natasha  (shown in the photo, with her daughter Samantha, at the wall-raising in February). Next week we'll learn about Iman. Yes, this is a cliff-hanger, so stay tuned! Our next Build Dates are Saturdays, May 18th and June 15th. For more info, or to join St Paul's happy, growing group of volunteers (no experience is needed!), please email  Gray  or call him at (970) 962-4057. We hope you'll come join us "on the dirt"!

Fort Collins Jewish Festival Sunday, April 28, 1 pm to 5:30 pm at the Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 E. Willow St., Ft. Collins We are invited to two special and unique community events, hosted by Temple Or Hadash: 1 pm - a concert by Kol Nashim, the women's choir of the Colorado Hebrew Chorale, celebrating the strength of women and children through song. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased HERE 2:30-5:30 pm - a festival - free. Israeli folk dancing, a martial arts demonstration by Krav Maga, a showing of "Fiddler on the Roof", and much more. For more information, email HERE

Learn about the Episcopal Church Interested in learning about the Episcopal Church? We will have six classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings in May, from 6 to 7:30 pm. Learn about following the Way of Christ and the Episcopalian tradition. Come to some sessions or all. This series will prepare those interested for confirmation on June 1. Contact Laurie Gudim or Rhoda Robinson .

Annual TLC Preschool Breakfast Fundraiser May 5, from 8:00 a.m. - noon. Great food: pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit, juice and coffee! Open to all!

Who are our graduates this year? Are you a graduate of high school, college or graduate school this year? Or are you a family member of a graduate? Please let Weltha in the church office (970-482-2668) or Laurie know, so that St. Paul's can celebrate the achievements of our people.

Remember and Renew April 26-28, in and around Littleton, CO Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shooting, This weekend The Episcopal Peace Fellowship is hosting events in and around Littleton. For a calendar of events and more information, go HERE

Free Bike Tune Ups On Saturday, April 27, The City of Fort Collins FC Bikes and partners are offering free tune-ups at convenient locations around the community. Plus, you can stay for fun activities and grab a snack while your bike is repaired! Trinity Lutheran Church is one location More info here or call (970) 221-6987 or email  FC bikes.

Braiding Sweetgrass Book Discussions Author, Robin Kimmerer uses sweetgrass as a metaphor to explain the origins of plant, animal and human on Mother Earth, their intertwined respectful and reciprocal relationships with each other, the loss of this reciprocity and the hope of ecological restoration to return the gifts of Mother Earth and the balance that once was. Kimmerer does this through weaving together three strands of “indigenous ways of knowing", scientific knowledge and her story of an Anishinabekwe scientist trying to bring them together.    We will begin our discussions about “Braiding Sweetgrass” next Wednesday, May 1 and follow up with meetings on May 8 and 15. We are hoping to have enough participants for both daytime and evening groups. If you have not RSVP’d yet, please do so by calling St. Paul’s Office 970-482-2668 (that way we will know whether we will have 1 or 2 groups). We plan to introduce the book and discuss the first half of the book at the first meeting. At our final meeting we will consider follow up activities as a result of our discussions of Braiding Sweetgrass. It should be an engaging and lively community gathering. Details   Book: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer   Discussions: May 1, 8, 15   Time: Daytime: 1:30-3:30 in Sun Room or   Evening: 6:30-8:30 in Fireside Room May 1 & 15                           Room 8 May 8 Please share this information with friends and be sure to let us know if you plan to participate in the discussions by calling St. Paul’s Office 970-482-2668.

Alleluia, Christ has Risen! Thank you to everyone who participated in our special Holy Week and Easter services. What a deeply meaningful, holy experience it was for us to worship together, recalling and praying through Christ's Passion, death and resurrection! And here we are, celebrating Easter. In the next six weeks we'll hear stories of the first disciples from the book of Acts, dip into the strange imagery of the Revelation, and hear in the Gospel of John how Thomas came to know the risen Christ and how Jesus prepared a fish barbeque for his disciples on the shore of the Galilean sea. I am looking forward to celebrating this joyous season with you.

Flowers for the Altar T o dedicate altar flowers in memory of a loved one, in celebration of a birthday or anniversary, or just to express gratitude to God, sign up on the list located on the red bulletin board where we used to gather for coffee. The money for these flowers comes from donations. We ask for a $25 donation, but any amount is acceptable. Write the check to St. Paul’s, put “Flowers” in the memo line, and put it in the offering plate. Thanks!

"The New Commandment" “ The new commandment is both very simple and very complex. To give my life for love is not for me one giant act, for instance taking a bullet for someone. There could be an occasion when that is the expression of my love, but that’s not what I aim for in following Christ . . ."  -- Laurie Gudim writes for Speaking to the Soul at the Episcopal Cafe. Read the full reflection HERE .