May 14, 2020
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
(Editor's Note. In lieu of his usual weekly reflection, Fr. Steve Carlsen has asked that the following communication from the Florida Keys Outreach Coalition be shared. FKOC is on the front lines of helping those suffering, not only from the virus itself, but from the devastating economic collapse the pandemic has caused. )

A Call for Volunteers

Florida Keys Outreach Coalition is looking for volunteers to assist staff as it works to get assistance into the hands of those who need it.

FKOC has received funding to purchase gift cards (Publix, Winn-Dixie, Shell, CVS, Walgreens), make online payments for phone and internet (to keep people connected to their support networks and the world during stay-at-home and social distancing), medical expenses, and childcare.

Because FKOC is one of few organizations receiving funding for this type of assistance, it has a higher volume of phone calls and a significant backlog of voicemails that current volunteers are unable to follow-up with in a timely manner. Your help is needed.

(Some of the tasks below can be fulfilled from anywhere in the country, not only in Key West, and most can be fulfilled from your own home.)

FKOC has four urgent volunteer roles. Keep in mind that some involve voice contact with those in need and some are clerical. A volunteer can choose the kind of role that is right for him or her. The roles are:

Speaking directly with applicants and helping them complete their assistance application over the phone. (You can utilize an App to show the call as coming from FKOC to protect the privacy of your own cell phone.)

Listening to voicemails and adding them to a call log for staff and other volunteers. (This is primarily a clerical role, separate from calling back.)

Data entry -- entering data to Excel spreadsheets.

Gift card prep -- (you must live in Ke the West area for this one); filing, addressing envelopes, mailing gift cards.

It takes about 3 hours to train -- two hours completing required DCF training online and 1 hour of training with the FKOC lead for FKOC-specific information. Again, this can be done from anywhere in the country.

If you’d like to learn more, please email Jen Hund at jhund@fkoc.org , to set up a time to chat over the phone.
Join Us For Sunday's Service

Join us Sunday for Holy Eucharist at 9:30 AM on Facebook. To join via Facebook, go to the church Facebook page at the appropriate time and look for the window showing that "St. Paul's Key West is now live." Click on the window.

You can open or download the bulletin for the Sunday service here .

Join Us for Morning and Evening Prayer
Morning and Evening Prayer via Facebook Live is offered through  St. Paul's Facebook Page , at 7:30 a.m. an d 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

To join in the prayers via Facebook, go to the church  Facebook page  at the appropriate time and look for the window showing that "St. Paul's Key West is now live." Then click on the window.

"Like" us and turn on live notifications to get a reminder whenever we are offering prayers. Thank you to Bruce Hagemann and Mary Simmons!

Senior Warden Notes
Ray Warren
My Mother used to remind me that " it's always darkest before the dawn. " I think all of us have felt that the past few months have been dark indeed for Key West. But, maybe, just maybe, there are glimmers of dawn.

Bishop Eaton in Miami has published a guide for re-opening Episcopal churches in our diocese. It won't be quick, it will definitely be phased, and things will not be "normal" for a long time. But at least we have a road map to begin thinking about the journey.

Closer to home, the Search Committee has shared it's first draft of our Parish Profile with key leaders. I can tell you it is a positive and informative document that will represent us well as the introductory document for potential full time clergy considering St. Paul's. The vestry will offer input before approving a final version of the document. But the important thing is that the process is moving forward. I am so proud of the committee and their hard work.

I strongly urge each of you to consider volunteering for the FKOC opportunity outlined above. With our campus shut down, it has been hard for St. Paul's to organize our unique response to the crisis facing Key West. This is an opportunity for St. Paul's members and supporters to shine the light of our faith for the world. And, in this case "time is the treasure you can offer."

In speaking with organizers, they would like volunteers to commit to two shifts a week of about 2 hours each for about two months. That is not onerous and can make a world of difference for a family in need. If you do join the effort, please drop us a note to let us know about your experience.
Meantime, St. Paul's donated nearly 500 "Hawaiian rolls" to a group cooking for those in need in Big Pine Key and Key West. We had been storing them in our freezer and were so grateful they could be put to use.
Next up: Finding a way to utilize a large batch of uncooked chicken legs and thighs that came into our hands recently. Right now it is stored in our freezer where the rolls used to reside. We will find a good use for them as well!

Finally, thank you again for staying faithful. Each week at the mailbox or receiving a contribution notice from PayPal I am nearly moved to tears. Your support of our historic parish is invaluable. The mailing address is 401 Duval Street, Key West, 33040 or visit our parish giving page . God Bless you!
Join Our Book Group!

The St. Paul's Book Group will continue to discuss The Book of Joy: His Holiness the Dalia Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Tuesday at 11 AM. This is the record of, and the story surrounding, a week-long meeting between the great Buddhist and Christian leaders, available in print, ebook, and audio book. New members of the group are very welcome to join. If you are interested, email Susanne Woods at  susanne.woods@gmail.com , and we will put you on the list. Connecting to ZOOM is very easy, instructions will be provided when you contact Susanne!
Join Tim Peterson's Music History Program On Facebook Each Thursday At Noon

Each Thursday at noon, St. Paul's music director Tim Peterson presents an informative program on music.

Access the program live each week from the Church Facebook page. After the live session, the program remains available on the Facebook Page to watch on you own schedule.


Know Your History

From resident historian David Eyer:

In the film "The Rose Tattoo" (featured in last week's Epistle ) we notice there was a carpet in the St Paul's Church center aisle. Soon after the film was made in the 1950s the thurifer was apparently extra enthusiastic with the lighted thurible. A hot spark fell on the carpet. Some time later during the service the carpet burst into flames that were quickly extinguished. The carpet in the nave was removed and never replaced. 

The carpet at the level of the choir and organ console was removed soon after 2000 and not replaced. It was in poor condition. Removal of the nails holding the carpet caused holes in the Cuban Tile, a potential tripping hazard. Experienced workers filled the holes with what appeared to be a perfect color match - but the patch material dried to a very dark color that the sample patch did not. 
Reminders
Sunday school is canceled during the virus emergency.
Back issues of  The Epistle  available  here .
These communications are currently edited by Senior Warden Ray Warren. Send questions and comments to the editor   here .