FROM THE RECTOR

June is an exciting month for many reasons. First, it begins with Bishop Benfield confirming and receiving several of our members. In addition, we will have one member renewing his baptismal vows and three members graduating from the Education for Ministry (EfM) program offered here. All of these point to a congregation that is ready to enter into a new phase in our life together. 

Last month I wrote about a book I had read while on vacation and the importance of building disciples. Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation are all about seeking to be Christ’s disciples. The book I read also talked about the life cycle of a church (see below). 

Please note there is one thing missing from this chart: Revitalization. The effects of entering into a decline (note the loss of vision) can be altered if a church reaffirms or develops a new vision. Doing so can result in a return to new growth.

Where would you place St. Paul’s on this chart? The vestry reviewed this chart and concluded we are somewhere between Empty Nest and Old Age.  They attributed a great deal of this to the pandemic which robbed us of so many opportunities to maintain relationships and build new ones. A vision needs to be shared and sharing a vision requires attention to our relationships. 

Both the number of people who will stand before the bishop and the work of the Care Team point to us entering into the Revitalization Phase. Add to this our music program with the addition of Choral Evensong and I can feel St. Paul’s regaining its focus on what matters. The Care Team has plans to be out in our community several times over the summer and into the fall. The team is planning, your help is needed. Watch for news of their schedule to give out water at some of the summer concerts at the park and again on the 4th of July. Then, in the fall they will be doing this on the campus of Lyon College as the new students are moving into the dorms. They will again be at the Pride Event on Main Street doing the same. 

The Care Team was formed to better care for our members, the fact that its members want to also care for our community speaks volumes. This is a wonderful example of people sharing a vision and becoming disciples.  

There is another reason June is an exciting month, and it is personal. On June 12th, I begin my twelve weeks of sabbatical. A sabbatical is a time for study, travel, and personal growth. I have plans for all of these. I will be attending a conference and training at the University of the South, touring cathedrals in Great Britain and Scotland, and spending time with family. I plan to end my sabbatical with a two-week motorcycle trip to the Grand Canyon. I, of course, am looking forward to all of these, and I look forward to hearing reports about what St. Paul’s is doing in my absence and rejoining the journey of discipleship that has begun.  

Blessings,

Jim+

OTHER NEWS

CARE TEAM REPORT

By Jo Cargill-Krug

St. Paul’s Care Team met May 28th at the Parish Hall. Items discussed were as follows:

Bishop’s Visit—The bishop will be here June 4th for his annual visit for confirmations and EfM graduates. Coffee with the Bishop will take place between services and a potluck lunch will be served after the 10:30 service that day. Volunteers are needed to set up the potluck on Saturday.

Directory—Information for the Church Directory is complete and ready to go onto Realm. Several of us have made our information private in the Realm settings thus making the information unavailable to share. If you’re one of those, a care team member may be calling you asking permission to change your settings. The change can be made through the office.

Coffee Hour—Ellen Massey reported that Coffee Hour is going well. Please contact her to sign up to do refreshments for future dates.

Pub Theology—Due to scheduling complications in June, the next planned get-together will be Thursday, July 13th and will thereafter be scheduled on the second Thursday of each month. Location will be announced.

July 4th—Plans were made to hand out water at Riverside Park the afternoon and evening of July 4th. To volunteer for a time slot to work the booth, contact Mike or Rhonda Mundy. We also discussed handing out water to Lyon College students on “move-in day” in August. Mike suggested we look into purchasing a pop-up tent with the church’s name and logo imprinted on the outside for future events.

New Project—A suggestion was made that we collect personal care items to donate to our area shelters or assistance programs. We will have a basket in the church where items such as soap, toothbrushes and paste, deodorant, mouthwash, etc. will be collected for donation. This will be an on-going project.

Cards were signed and will be mailed to church members on our prayer list.

The next meeting for the Care Team is scheduled for June 25th at 6 p.m. following Evensong at 5 p.m. The Care Team meeting will include a meal. Sarah Harmon is leading the Care Team.

This is separate from Care Team report:

Members of St. Paul’s conducted a massive church-wide Rummage Sale May 20th and 27th in the Parish Hall. Much of the hard work was done by Brenda & Nikki Bittle and Mike & Rhonda Mundy who spearheaded the event. Brenda thanked all those who worked at the sale and to those who donated items to sell. A grand total of $2,145.55 was raised for the church with a portion earmarked for the Stinson Fund for music.

EUCHARISTIC MINISTER SCHEDULE

Altar Guild 

June: Carol Crosby & Rhonda Mundy

July: Kim & Tim Dunlap

EPISTLE STAFF

Jo Cargill-Krug, Editor

Fr. Jim McDonald, Publisher

Nelson Barnett, St. Paul's Historian

Katie Janke, Layout & Design