Weekly Services
Sunday - 3 Services
10:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist
1:00 p.m.
South Sudanese Service
Dinka Language
5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist
Spanish Language
Tuesday
12:05 p.m. Holy Eucharist
For the Summer Schedule please contact the church office.
Wednesday
6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist
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This Sunday: 10:00 am Youth Service
Join us for Worship at 10:00 am, lead by the Voices of Youth following their week of "Missionpalooza!" - a week of daily service and mission work in the Kansas City area. Stay for a quick cuppa in the Garden Room and games on the patio (or parish hall pending heat). Please see other important information about this weekend below, and thank you in advance for grabbing your name-tag at the south entrance so we can get to know each other better.
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Rector's Notes:
Odd question: Does anyone know any descendents of Newton M. Fitch or Aley W. Hutchings Fitch? I have a old document of theirs that may have some sentimental value to their family. Contact Nicole at 816.268.6514 if you have any leads for us. Thank you.
The clock is ticking and my final Sunday looms on the near horizon. Just a few thoughts:
1) For almost forty years, three in seminary and 36+ in the parish, I have known where I was to be every Sunday morning. For a great deal of that time, it was behind the altar of the congregations I served. Serving as a priest of the church and, more specifically, celebrating the sacrament has formed me deeply over these years. It will be odd to no longer have free access to an altar for sacramental ministry. From now on, I will be an invited guest. I am not quite sure how I will manage this new reality.
2) Yesterday, I got a call from someone I did not know, someone not connected to the parish. He wanted to visit. He told me that he was raised Episcopalian but had been away from the church for years. He remembered he was told the church would always be there for him. I asked him how we might serve him. He confided in me he had stage 4 liver cancer with metastases and felt he needed to talk to a priest. Your support of St. Paul's makes it possible for your clergy to be available to all sorts of persons in all sorts of circumstances. It has been my privilege for the all these years of ministry to be an outward and visible expression of the support of God's mission and ministry by all the parishes I served. When I serve this person and others like him, I represent the Body of Christ we call St. Paul's. I bring the love of God, lived through our parish to serve people as they are faced with life's challenges, both inside and outside the parish. I will miss the clarity of my role as an outward and visible sign of the Body of Christ, the Church. While I will, of course, continue to engage in service to others, it was a special privilege to do so as your priest.
3) The conventional rules that guide a priest into retirement require a time of "separation" from the parish. This separation means I will not be involved in the life and ministry of St. Paul's in a direct and/or overt way. Generally, the duration of this separation is about twelve months. While difficult to be sure, it is generally a good and healthy practice and has proven helpful to all concerned in the past. This does not mean I will avoid you in public or become a recluse, it simply means I will not be attending church or church functions nor will I engage in conversations about the vacancy or the search process. This is how it should be and it is what our Bishop expects of me.
So forward I go into the breach. There will be a few more opportunities to share with you before the curtain drops, but these thoughts are enough for now . . . rsr+
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Parish Calendar
Information about these events can be found in the "more information" section below.
July 22-28:
MissionPalooza
!
July 31: 4:00 Ministries Meeting
5:00 Vestry Meeting
August 4: Celebration of Thanksgiving & Brunch
for Father Stan
August 4: Birthday Sunday
August 8: ECW Meeting
Mitzi Foster's home
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We are thrilled to report that as of July the total pledges to
St. Paul's for 2019 exceeded those of 2018, 28 households increased their pledges, and 13 households made new pledges.
This is great news!
2020 promises many transitions for us as a faith family, requiring our full attention and care. We thank you in advance for your continued stewardship of this remarkable place. We are reminded daily, and proclaim weekly, that all we have comes by God's grace. We are called to return but a portion of that to serving God's life.
Summer Blessings ~ Your Stewardship Ministry Team
You can still use the link below to make a 2019 pledge, or contact the
Church Office
for a paper pledge form.
Thank you for your support financially, for your participation, and by remembering the worship, outreach, and people of St. Paul's in your prayers.
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Christian Formation
Sunday School
"Godly Play"
This summer the children of the parish are focusing on serving others. They have planned special projects using their great gifts to meet a world's deep need. Please join us at 10:00 am on the third floor. Everyone aged 4-11 is welcome to come and bring a friend. Children join the worship service in time for communion. Nursery care provid
ed for younger children on the 2nd floor.
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Education for Ministry Registration Ends July 2019
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Other News & Opportunities
Volunteer Transcriptionist Needed
If you can listen to an audio-video recording and convert it into a written report, we need your help. Contact the
Associate for more information and to volunteer.
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Kurt Knecht will be playing a concert with cellist Ho Anthony Ahn at Grace and Holy Trinity on
Sunday August 4th at 2pm. The concert is free, and it will feature the music of Vivaldi, Chopin, Dvorak, and Mendelssohn.
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The St. Paul's Photo Directory
Easy as
1-
2-
3:
1 - Sign Up
2- Show Up
3 - Smile!
St. Paul's will be partnering with
Lifetouch for parish family pictures and publishing a new parish directory. It couldn't be easier! Please find the link
here
for easy appointment-making! We are so excited to partner with Lifetouch because it will make it easier to communicate with each other.
There will be continuing information at church and in the Epistle.
Portrait Dates:
August 26th-29th (Monday-Thursday) for 2:00-8:40pm
If you have any questions, please feel free to
call Alison 816-686-3223 or
email her.
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E
piscopal
C
hurch
W
omen
August 8th Meeting
6:30 to 8:30pm
Mitzi Foster's Home
(Mr. Blanding's Dream House)
1035 West 65th St.
Kansas City, MO 64113
1940's Vintage drinks, finger foods, popcorn and movie refreshments will be served.
The Fosters have lived here and been involved at St. Paul's for the last 31 years. Don't miss this rare behind the scenes tour of Blandings' closet, and basement theatre; looking for St. Paul's artifacts in every room and win the Scavenger Hunt prize!
Admission:
A donation for the St. Paul's Food Pantry
canned ham , chicken or tuna.
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Transition Update: A note from Your Vestry
The Transitions Officer from the Offices of the Bishop met with the Vestry and Staff at the July Vestry meeting and gave an overview of the process moving forward, now that Father Stan has announced his retirement. It is fairly simple:
1 - Celebrate Stan and Say Farewell with Love and Thanks (see celebration luncheon info in the ePistle)
2 - Establish clergy coverage for upcoming liturgies until we call an Interim Priest
3 - Welcome the ministry and services of an Interim Priest, who will work with the staff to provide full time attention to the St. Paul's parish until a new Rector is called.
4 - Discern and empower a Search Committee to work with the Offices of the Bishop to call a new Rector, once the parish has done her work establishing a profile and setting goals.
If you have any questions or concerns about this interim time for the life of the parish, please feel free to speak with any member of the Vestry. Your prayers are appreciated.
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Yoga on Your Cathedral Lawn:
We are invited to join other Episcopalians and community folk for three different 90 minute Yoga events! They will be All-Levels classes, held on the Cathedral lawn beginning at
1pm.
August 10th, and September 21st
. There is no charge. Bring your yoga mat or towel, a water bottle and enjoy the great outdoors!
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Prayer Request Forms are for requesting prayers for yourself, and for others. They are available from the box on the wall in the tower room near the pulpit, on the Usher's Desk at the 40th street door, and the Receptionist Desk at the South/School side door. They are also on our
website. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Pastoral Care Ministry Team, please contact Heidi Carter,
Associate for Ministry.
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Bring your friends. Worship God. Spread the Gospel.
A Prayer For the Good Use of Leisure
O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of
refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our
leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our
spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
BCP 825
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Bags Wanted
We need your plastic grocery bags!
Could you please bring in grocery bags and place them in the cart next to the Food Pantry entrance? TEFAP has so much produce to bag-up, which is wonderful, but we're depleting the pantry's supply. Thank you!
Help Wanted
TEFAP & Backstage Hands Needed
at Pantry
TEFAP: The Emergency Food Assistance Program has experienced a large increase in quality and quantity of food coming into our pantry. As a result, more clients are coming, bringing friends, and we are able to help them all. We served over 120 households last month (last year we averaged 80 per month). While we are happy to be able to help more, we really need more able bodied folks to help with moving, setting up, and distributing all of this heavy food. If you are able to help, it's only once a month, on the 3rd Saturday of the month, from 8am - noon. If you work with a youth group, scouting group, or know of youth or young adults needing service hours, we would welcome the connection. Please contact Melissa Hill via St. Paul's at stpauls@stpaulskcmo.org.
Thank you!
Backstage: Many of us have seen, and been a part of, the food distribution at
our Pantry. It is humbling, hard and holy work.
But there is a very important part of our Pantry ministry that goes mostly unseen, and it's there that we can use your help.
To save money
,
where possible and practicable
, o
ur Pantry
acquires
bulk supplies of essential items for our pantry clients. It takes time and care to divide-up these supplies for distribution. It includes things like
rice, pasta, dry beans
,
laundry
and dish
detergent, hair care supplies, frozen foods, etc. If you are able to come and help us sort these into shareable sizes, please let us know
. Thanks so much. Richard Scarritt
, Easom Bond
and
Sterling Roath
.
We need more caring
hands on-deck in the
St. Paul's Parish Nursery.
Each Sunday we have two paid staff persons caring for our youngest (and cutest!) members. All are required to take the "Safeguarding God's Children" training, pass a background check, and love our kids and their families. We also occasionally need nursery caregivers during the week for special meetings, worship services, or events. Please speak with
Catie Brouse if you are ready to join the team. Service hours for high school students are available, but the training requirements remain. Thank you!
Coffee Hour Hosts
July 28 - Jessica Kerrigan
Aug 4 - Birthday Sunday
Aug 11 - Pat Rudy
Aug 18 - ?you?
Aug 25 - ?you?
Hosting Coffee Hour is a fun and easy way to get to know other St. Paul's members! The host brings the food and the church provides the drinks. An example of what a host might bring would be: two large pans of brownies (cut very small), maybe a bowl of fruit (oftentimes grapes cut into small clusters), and a bowl or two of pretzels or popcorn. If you have questions or wish to co-host with another member, please contact Alison. Dates are available.
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verse for the week
Those who hear but don't do the word are like those who look at their faces in a mirror. They look at themselves, walk away, and immediately forget what they were like. But there are those who study the perfect law, the law of freedom, and continue to do it. They don't listen and then forget, but they put it into practice in their lives. They will be blessed in whatever they do.
- James 1:23-25
voice for the week
We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say 'It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.' Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.
- Fred Rogers
prayer for the week
Awaken and sustain an understanding of ourselves as beings designed to take loving action, and not simply to sit and listen, growing numb to the sounds of a world in need. Call us out and call us in today, oh Christ whose Kin-dom is being built every day.
Amen.
thought for the week
Forgiveness creates an obligation for which there are no exceptions allowed. Love is a fire which goes out if it does not kindle others. Thou hast burned with joy; kindle him who comes near you if thou wilt not become like stone, smoky but cold. He who has received must give; it is better to give much, but it is essential to give a part at least--
Giovanni Papini
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 Episcopal Church response to the crisis on our border
J
uly 2, 2019] Over the past several weeks, The Episcopal Church has responded to the reports of inhumane conditions for children and other asylum seekers in government custody in a number of ways. This response includes calls for donations and goods from Episcopal dioceses on the border, prayers for those seeking safety, efforts to engage in advocacy, and pastoral messages from bishops around the Church.
"We are children of the one God who is the Creator of us all," said Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. "It is our sisters, our brothers, our siblings who are seeking protection and asylum, fleeing violence and danger to children, searching for a better life for themselves and their children. The crisis at the border is not simply a challenge of partisan politics but a test of our personal and public morality and human decency."
The Episcopal Church, through the Office of Government Relations (OGR) and Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), has compiled a list of resources, bishop statements, and information in response to the ongoing humanitarian situation at the southern border.
"Reports of poor care for children in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody and continued policies to limit access to asylum are extremely concerning to people of faith. We must remember these children are here because they cannot find safety anywhere else," stated Rebecca Linder Blachly, Director of The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations. "The U.S. has an established system to process asylum seekers, who are coming to the U.S. legally. The response to asylum seekers who are desperate and afraid should not be deterrence or detention. We have the capability to respond in a humane and compassionate manner, and I am grateful for everyone in The Episcopal Church who is responding to this crisis."
"The enormity of the challenge is daunting. It is easy to feel helpless to make a difference. While we cannot do everything, we can do something," said Curry. "The links to resources of bishops and dioceses on the border, the Office of Government Relations and Episcopal Migration Ministries offer practical suggestions for how we can each and together do something."
The Office of Government Relations represents the policy priorities of The Episcopal Church to the U.S. government in Washington, D.C. This office aims to shape and influence policy and legislation on critical issues, highlighting the voices and experiences of Episcopalians and Anglicans globally. All of its work is grounded in the resolutions of General Convention and Executive Council, the legislative and governing bodies of the church. Connecting Episcopalians to their faith by educating, equipping and engaging them to do the work of advocacy through the Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) is a key aspect of this work.
Episcopal Migration Ministries is a ministry of The Episcopal Church and is one of nine national agencies responsible for resettling refugees in the United States in partnership with the government. Episcopal Migration Ministries currently has 13 affiliate offices in 12 states. To directly support EMM and its life-changing work, visit
www.episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text 'EMM' to 41444 (standard messaging and data may rates apply).
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B
eyond the Walls of St. Paul's
Opportunities to Stay Connected and Involved
Please Visit Our Website at
www.stpaulskcmo.org
for information about The Diocese of West Missouri's
Youth Ministries
, The Episcopal Church, Outreach opportunities and Advocacy and Community Engagement. Scroll down the welcoming page to find a series of interesting links and information. Thank You.
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click for:
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by 6:00 p.m. Wednesdays.
Please help out the Epistle editor and submit your items in a timely way. Thanks!
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St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Day School
11 E 40th St.
Kansas City, Mo. 64111
(816) 931-2850
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