The Poor People's Campaign, the movement launched initially during the Civil Rights era, will hold the National Call for Moral Revival rally on the National Mall in Washington DC on June 23. A beloved community group from St. Paul's will be attending and all are welcome. Meet at the Forest Glen Metro at 8:30 a.m. Bring water and be prepared for lots of walking! If you plan on going with the group, sign up with Kenzie Raulin: [email protected] or 301-237-1520. For more information on the history and breadth of the Campaign, visit https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/history/.

Have you been thinking about singing in the choir but worried about the rehearsal schedule or commitment? Then welcome to June Choir! This Sunday,  June 24, just come to Room 211 (Choir Room) at 9:30 a.m. We rehearse together before the 10:30 a.m. worship service and sing music specifically chosen by Director of Music Tom Pedersen to be meaningful and accessible to this pick-up choir. Questions? Contact Tom at [email protected]. 

On Sunday, June 17, we bade farewell to our previous associate pastor, Rev. Claire Matheny. St. Paul's staff will continue to accept farewell notes and gifts for Rev. Claire at the church office, and will forward these to her at her new address. In keeping with United Methodist policy and tradition, we ask all members of St. Paul's to honor the Release of Pastoral Ties celebrated last Sunday, and to please refrain from visiting Rev. Claire at her new church for a period of time as this will help make her adjustment into her new role with her new community easier. Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton, currently serving as Chaplain at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington DC, will join St. Paul's on July 1 as our new Associate Pastor. Please contact the church office if you have any questions. 

The 2017-2018 Sunday School Year may be behind us, but children age 2-10 are encouraged to come to our Summer Sunday School! This Sunday June 24, children will begin in the Sanctuary with their families at 10:30 a.m. and will transition to classrooms 200 and 203 with their teachers following the Children's Moment. We will be exploring a brand new "no prep" summer curriculum from Children's Illustrated Ministries. Children will engage with biblical stories in both the Old and New Testaments to discover ways we join God at work in the world. Older children and youth will be in worship in the Sanctuary. Here's how summer at St. Paul's is shaping up: 

• now - July 8: Children's Moments & Summer Sunday School - Each Sunday, children will begin in the Sanctuary with their families at 10:30 a.m. Following the Children's Moment, children ages 2-10 will transition to Summer Sunday School classes in Rooms 200 & 203. (We still need some Summer Sunday School teachers! Sign up here: http://stpaulsk.org/community/children)
• July 15: Musical Theatre Camp - No Summer Sunday School; all children will be in worship to enjoy the Musical Theatre Camp's presentation of "It's Cool in the Furnace," a musical about Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
• July 22 - September 2:  Summer Sunday School - All children ages 2-10 are invited to join the Summer Sunday School classes in Rooms 200 & 203 starting at 10:30 a.m.

With the summer months come visits with family, sight-seeing adventures, family vacations, and other places across the planet. Whether your travels take you to the pool, the beach, the lake, or the mountains, we encourage you to bring St. Paul's with you. Pick up your own Flat Paul hand fan in the Narthex this Sunday, then take him along wherever your summer takes you. Send us a photo of you and Flat Paul, tell us where you are (e.g., at Rehoboth Beach, visiting grandma, atop the Space Needle, etc.) and we will post on the Flat Paul bulletin board in the Narthex! Also available this Sunday are Flat Paul Family Buckets, full of helpful summer items, such as a travel journal, family devotionals, coloring pages, crayons, and more (and, yes, a Flat Paul!). Whether you are traveling solo or as a family, email your pictures with Flat Paul to Meg Baker at [email protected], or text them to her at 240-723-6642. Happy trails to you! "People plan their path, but the Lord secures their steps." ~Proverbs 16:9.

Feeling called to stillness and community in a world that is all too loud? Join us 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary on Wednesday, June 27 for an hour of prayer and quiet. Still Wednesday facilitators lead the evening in a variety of formats that could include walking meditation, lectio divina, poetry, journaling, art, or music, and about 20 minutes of silent prayer. Still Wednesday will not meet in July and August. We plan to return in September and invite you to join us as you are able.

SPYs and Parents! We are launching exciting new projects this Fall, so keep an eye on your inboxes for a survey or go to our website to give us your feedback. Be sure to pick up a copy of the SPY Briefing Newsletter for June-July featuring a special photo montage with some of our activities from 2017-2018! Even though we take a break from regularly scheduled weekly meetings during the summer, we still have some activities planned.  For other details, please contact Mr. Micah Smartt at [email protected]. 

Anyone can minister to others in the St. Paul's community by delivering flowers. Please sign up on the office bulletin board for dates starting July 1, then on Sunday following the 10:30 a.m. worship service, pick up a card from the clipboard and bunch of altar flowers to take to a member of our church who could use a little extra cheer. Those who are unable to come to church or who have experienced a time of sadness truly appreciate this kind gesture from our faith community.

The next Communion Collect is Sunday,  July 1. We welcome donations any time! You can place non-perishable grocery items in the bins in the Narthex, pre-pack full bags using a shopping list provided, or donate Safeway or Giant grocery store gift cards ($10 value each, please) in the office. Volunteers will be needed after each worship service on July 1 to help sort and bag contributions. We also invite volunteers for distribution on Monday, July 2 starting at about 6:45 p.m. in Heavener Hall, when we get ready for the families to arrive later that night. If you can volunteers as a driver, please contact coordinators Kim Longsworth ([email protected], 301-580-8832) or Jean Langbein ([email protected], 301-622-0737). Drivers help deliver groceries to those in our ZIP code who are shut-in, disabled, or otherwise unable to make it to the church. Read more about the Hunger Ministry at  http://stpaulsk.org/service/hunger-ministry. Thanks!

Thinking about becoming a member or just want to learn more about life at St. Paul's? Plan to join Rev. Adam Snell and others at 10:00 a.m. in Room 109 on Saturday, July 7 for homemade pie and relaxing conversation about the Christian faith and this church we call home. Please RSVP using the insert in the Sunday worship bulletin, or by contacting the church office ([email protected], 301-933-7933) no later than Thursday, July 5. Childcare is available upon request.

The UMM will be having our nineteenth annual miniature golf and supper outing on Wednesday, July 11. It will feature miniature golf at Gaithersburg's Bohrer Park followed by supper at CheeBurger CheeBurger off Shady Grove Road in the Fallsgrove Shopping Center. We will be leaving from the church parking lot at 6:30 p.m. and should be back by approximately 10:30 p.m. Men, your sons and daughters are welcome to join us! If you would like to attend this fun event, please sign up in the church office.

We are blessed to have time after worship for fellowship with coffee and baked treats. Thank you to all the talented bakers who share your gifts with the church community! There are one or two slots available on the following Sundays: July 15; August 5, 12, 19, 26. Bakers are asked to provide about 8 dozen cookies or similar goodies (nut free, please). Sign up on the clipboard found in the Octagon on Sunday mornings or in the Octagon Kitchen during the week. Please contact the church office if you have questions.

The quieter days of summer may provide the opportunity to spend more time on your craft hobbies. If so, please consider creating some crafts now to be donated to the next St. Paul's Fall Craft Fair. All types of crafts are gratefully accepted. Past sales have included needle work, quilted and knit items, photos, greeting cards, paintings, pottery, jewelry, preserves, and books. All the proceeds from the Craft Fair sales are donated to worthy causes that help those in need.

We are looking for a few new counters to join our team. Each Sunday after worship, small groups of counters take the church offerings, count the contributions, and record the week's financial numbers. If your skills align with this area, we welcome your help. Please contact Rev. Adam Snell directly to discuss this volunteer opportunity ([email protected], 301-933-7933 ext. 101).

The Youth Choir is currently taking a break and looks to re-launch in the 2018-2019 school year. Thanks to all who shared their gifts of music over the past year! To get involved in future activities, please contact Tom Pedersen at [email protected].

Christian Faith 101, an adult study class, will be offered on Tuesday mornings this fall. The course explores the religious, historical, and political context that shaped major components of Christian faith, doctrine, and practice as it developed over centuries. The course consists of 14 three-hour sessions, held each Tuesday morning beginning September 4, 2018. The class size is limited to 12 participants. The course content is appropriate for all Christian disciplines and does not require extensive previous knowledge of the Bible or Christian doctrine. A flyer with more details about the class is available in the church office. Please contact Brian or Therese Walden for additional information or if you are interested in participating ([email protected], 301-509-8129; [email protected], 301-509-8128).

Upcoming surgery? Have a joy or concern? In need of prayer support? Submit a prayer request online, day or night. You have the option to share your request with the Prayer Lift team or only share directly with the pastors. Visit our online prayer request form linked on our website at:  http://stpaulsk.org/community/prayer-requests.

If you have an upcoming St. Paul's-related event and want to let church members and friends know about it with an announcement in the Sunday bulletin, please email Erin Steele in the church office at [email protected]. All bulletin announcements must be received by 12:00 noon on Wednesday. The suggested length is 75 words and should include date, time, and contact information. If you have an article to go in the monthly Epistle Newsletter, please help us by submitting Epistle items to Erin Steele at [email protected] no later than the 15th of the month. Please send Epistle content as a Word doc attachment with "Epistle Item" in the subject line. Each article should be about 250 words or less. Paper submissions may be placed in the yellow "Epistle" folder on the desk in the main office. Please note that Epistle articles are not automatically included in the bulletin announcements, or vice versa, so be sure to submit items separately if you want them to appear in both places. Thanks for staying connected to all that St. Paul's has to offer!