Church messaging on Advent is often a mess. In this holy season, the church calls us to slow down, to wait, to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. And to help you slow down, wait, and prepare, here are three book studies, seventeen service opportunities, and fifty social gatherings at the church in the month of December. Please come to all of them so that the church will be successful, and we will all be able to tell how faithful you are! 

Look, I’ve done this, too. And honestly, I’ll probably do it next year. But this year almost by chance we don’t have an overly busy Advent at Saint Paul’s. We have a couple very exciting youth events, we’ll do an Angel Tree project and breakfast, a short pageant is likely to take the place of a sermon in late Advent, and we’re scheduling three quiet (half-) days. We’ll honor other traditions and certainly try, together, to bring some extra intentionality to our faith over the next month. But for an Advent, the calendar doesn’t look that crowded to me. 

This relative quiet wasn’t really a deliberate choice, or isn’t really because of some grand plan. I think it’s a result of a combination of the ongoing pandemic, a smaller staff, and a still pretty new rector. But I don’t regret it. It is liturgically and theologically appropriate and is a true reflection of where our life at Saint Paul’s is right now. Things may feel quiet, but that doesn’t mean that little is happening. We are, in fact, preparing and actively waiting. New small group opportunities, more support for our children and youth ministries, a caregiver support group, renewed energy around outreach, and formation programming wrapped around Wednesday night dinners are all exciting things that are germinating. 

I don’t mean to imply that the programs we’ll launch or relaunch in the coming year are comparable to the birth of Jesus in import and impact. But we shouldn’t be shy about saying that our goals at church are to participate in nothing less than God’s transformation of our lives, our neighborhood, and the world. That really is what we’re after. And that kind of work sometimes is long and slow. The quiet of the seed before the shoots burst forth from the earth is important. And I think that’s going on now. 

So, we are waiting and preparing. And then we’ll start growing, deepening, and (continuing) to bear fruit. Christ is coming. Christ is always coming, bringing new life and love. In this holy season, let us prepare our hearts for that coming, that new life and love.  

Eric+

The Angel Tree Christmas program is a beloved tradition at Saint Paul's Church which serves persons in our church neighborhood in a very personal way.  

This year we are providing the members of our parish the opportunity to purchase gift for two important ministries:

Rain ponchos in the small pouches will be included with the Compass of Hope Christmas Magic gifts, which is an assortment of items that will be provided to each of the homeless persons on Christmas Day.

We will also be providing the parish the opportunity to select a gift request from a wish list of items that is being requested to support the children at W. S. Hornsby School in our downtown/ East Augusta neighborhood.

This is a wonderful opportunity to share the joy and miracle of Christmas with others in need, and it is also a time for us to remember that we all have times in life when we receive love from others and times when we are able to share it.

The angels will be located on the front church portico before and after the 11 AM worship services on November 28th and December 5th to distribute the gift requests to support those in need. 

We are inviting all parishioners join us for a delicious home cooked Christmas breakfast and fellowship at the church on Saturday morning, December 11th, to collect and sort the gifts which will be delivered to Compass for Hope and Hornsby School.

The gifts can be delivered at the church Christmas breakfast or placed in a designated box located in the church narthex or Tyler Hall for the next two weeks. Monetary offerings can be made in payment to Saint Paul's Church with a designation for Angel Tree Ministry.

If you have questions or would like additional information, please email Melissa Friedman or contact by phone (443) 528-9149 or email Nancy Kotti or contact by phone (706) 910-2410.

Our 2022 annual pledge campaign has concluded. The Finance Committee and the Vestry will now begin the work of preparing the 2022 budget. Your pledge allows them to prepare a more accurate budget. If you did not receive a pledge appeal in the mail or have simply misplaced yours, please email the parish office or contact by telephone at (706) 724-2485 ext. 225. You may also pledge online using the link below.

as of 11/17/2021

Offerings received this Week $4,860.00

Operating Expenses to Date $772,144.40

Total Income Received to Date $790,085.22

The Vestry Nominating Committee is seeking candidates whom you believe would make outstanding Vestry members for Saint Paul's. If you'd like to suggest someone, including yourself, please contact retiring Senior Warden Ashley Wright. Prior to nominating someone else, please discuss with them their interest and willingness to serve in this role.

The basic responsibilities of the Vestry are:

We expect to elect for three full three-year terms and the remaining year of Matt Gullette’s unexpired term. If the new senior warden comes from the current vestry, we may have an additional unexpired term to fill.

To be eligible for the Vestry, a nominee must answer "yes" to all of the following questions.

Each nominee slated to run for election to the Vestry will be invited to share a profile with the parish via our regular parish communications including the weekly newsletter.

A Note on Eligibility: It was recently brought to our attention that some of our election practices vary from what is required in the diocesan canons (church law in our diocese). Conversations with the Bishop’s staff have clarified the language that will bring our practices into alignment with diocesan canons. On page 19 of the attached Constitution and Canons, those eligible for election are those “confirmed adults in good standing eighteen years of age or older enrolled in the Congregation” (Canon 2.1). Those eligible to vote in an election are “those confirmed adults enrolled in the Congregation who are in good standing and who have reached the age of sixteen” (Canon 2.3). Those already in the process of being confirmed or received and otherwise eligible, are eligible to run and vote while waiting for the bishop’s next visit.

Please contact the Parish Office to update our files.