St. Paul's Episcopal Church |
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This Week's News Highlights
Our Service This Week
Holy Eucharist on Facebook and for those in person will be at 8:30AM on Sunday. See below for how to attend by either mode of participation. Please consider the current state of the pandemic in making your decision about attending this service, or any other, in person. Facebook Live continues to be a safe and meaningful way to join in worship each Sunday.
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Changes at Sunday Services
Beginning with the January 31 service seating at the 8:30 service will be similar to what was done at the Christmas services. The only difference will be that attendees in every occupied row will be required to move to the end of the far end of the pew. This will increase the distance between attendees from about seven feet to well over ten feet.
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Also parishioners are encouraged (but will not be required) to consider double masking. This is actually not as uncomfortable as it sounds and provides an extra layer (literally) of protection.
These measures are designed to prepare us for the arrival of the possibly more contagious variant of the coronavirus in the next few weeks.
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Updates on the Annual Meeting Set for January 31
The annual meeting will be held this Sunday, January 31 beginning at approximately 9:50AM. It will be held at both the church sanctuary and via Zoom for qualified electors. For an explanation of "qualified electors" and "communicants in good standing" click here.
If you are considering attending in person, please know we will go out of the way to ensure safety. Many of the reports that are usually read will be recorded and available in advance. (We probably won’t read them or play them during the meeting itself to reduce the time together.)
We’ll swing the windows of the church wide open. Though that will increase the noise from the street, it will make the interior space essentially an exterior space. We’ll also have socially distanced seating available on the side porch for those who prefer to listen from outside the structure. Please dress appropriately as the HVAC won't be on and Key West can be either hot or cold this time of year. (The HVAC will be on for the church service, but will be cut off and windows open for the annual meeting.)
If you are a qualified elector and would like to attend via Zoom, you must indicate your desire to do so prior to the meeting by emailing either the Senior Warden or the Church office (phone 305-296-5142). The zoom meeting invitation will be sent only to those pre-registering for the meeting.
A confirmatory email will be sent when you register. The Zoom link (which should not be shared with others) will be sent out Saturday evening.
Every annual meeting involves electing three Vestry members, electing Dioecian Convention delegates and election of directors for the Memorial Fund. (The budget is already adopted by the Vestry per Church canons, but will be explained at the meeting.)
This year there will also be an agenda item to amend the by-laws to specifically provide for electronic meetings in times of emergency. For a copy of the proposed amendment click here.
Search Committee Update
At a meeting of church leaders from throughout the Keys Deanery last Saturday, Bishop Eaton, reiterated that he is pleased with the Rector candidates that have applied to lead St. Paul's and that he hopes to forward resumes to and meet with the Search Committee soon.
Please Buy A Brick and Build a Legacy
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Brick sales are going well! We'll soon place the first new grouping. Please consider joining in this project. You can order your brick(s) here.
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Sunday's Service
Join us Sunday for Holy Eucharist at 8:30AM. Sign up in advance to attend in person (see above) or join us 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 may need to refresh the page a few times if the "live" window does not appear promptly at the appointed time.)
Did you know you DO NOT need to have a Facebook account to view the service or visit our Facebook page? Simply use the Facebook page link to go directly to our Facebook page (even if you don't have your own Facebook account). Follow the directions above.
You can open or download the bulletin for the Sunday service here.
This information is important
Currently, a limited number of people are allowed to attend services in accordance with diocesan protocols. If you would like to attend, you will be asked to sign up in advance. Contact information will be required.
- Your name and the names of any family or household members who will attend with you.
- Your email address
- Your cell phone number
Email is greatly preferred, but reservations can also be made by calling the church office at 305-296-5142. If nobody answers please leave a message with the information.
(Walk-ins will be accommodated if space allows but please pre-register whenever possible.)
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Junior Warden's Report
By Greta Philips-Ford
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Volunteers continue to work hard to preserve and improve the church campus. Many thanks to those who have helped and to those of you who will be doing so in the near future.
Holy Innocents Hall is a “work in process” of pressure washing and other work. What a difference it makes!
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We've been able to do a number of long deferred maintenance projects.
Shown here is high altar cleaning as Tom Ford and Lisa Laskow tackled the evils of dirt.
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Ken Bagge's handiwork re-purposing the bricks removed in the Memorial Garden for the memorial bricks definitely tidies up the walk area and flower bed. |
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Unfortunately, we continue to be victimized by "tagging" vandalism. We've been able to remove this on an ongoing basis but it is a continuing threat.
Want to help beautify your church? Come out for socially distant (usually outside) volunteer work this Saturday at 9:00AM until about 11:00AM.
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Vestry Adopts 2021 Budget
At its December 2020 meeting the St. Paul's Vestry adopted a budget for calendar year 2021. Although the Vestry adopts the budget (and it is not a matter voted on at the annual meeting) the budget will be explained by Treasurer Dave Eyer in a special Zoom meeting on Saturday, January 30 at 10:00AM.
Those interested in asking detailed questions about the budget are encouraged to join the meeting and ask questions then. Because of Covid-19 concerns, the annual meeting itself will be kept as short as possible. Dave will also answer questi0ns at the annual meeting, but the Saturday briefing will be a chance for a true "deep dive" into the budget numbers and assumptions. To Join the Saturday Budget discussion via Zoom, use this link at 10:00AM on Saturday. (This is not the link for the annual meeting. To receive the annual meeting link members need to register in advance as indicated above.)
For a full PDF of the adopted budget click here. For a copy of Treasurer Eyer's year end report for the year 2020, click here.
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Senior Warden's Report
By Ray Warren
Just a few notes about the annual meeting this Sunday (starting at 9:50 after the 8:30 service.)
First, you do not need to attend the service to come to the meeting. Just come to the church about 9:40 or thereafter. While the HVAC will be on during the service, we’re going to cut it off after the service and open all the windows to make the church like an outdoor space (for safety). If you are still not comfortable, we’ll also have chairs set up on the side porch where you can attend and participate through the open windows. Safety is the key and we want everyone who wants to attend to feel comfortable.
The forecast for Sunday morning is coolish (around 69) so, since the windows will be open, dress accordingly.
ON THE OTHER HAND, we absolutely do not want anybody who feels, for health and safety reasons, that they should not attend in person, to feel any pressure to do so. A Zoom link for the meeting is also available. To join by Zoom, however, you will need to register in advance to receive the link. Only those registered in advance will be admitted into the meeting Sunday morning. To register for the link, send an email (preferably by Saturday evening) to either the Senior Warden or the church office indicating that you will attend by Zoom.
Generally, there is no need for paper ballots at annual meetings. The tradition has been for the nominees for the Vestry, convention delegates and Memorial Fund directors to be elected by acclimation. And we do have an outstanding slate of nominees this year. However, if a vote is required, we have made arrangements for Zoom participants to vote as well (anonymously).
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We do have very good candidates for each of the offices to be formally filled at the annual meeting.
The Vestry has nominated Perry Hodies, Holle Campbell and Dean Warden for three vacancies on that body. Perry, who is completing a time filling an unexpired term, is well versed in Vestry business and a quiet volunteer for many parish projects. Holle is the current Vestry clerk. She and her husband (who is on the Search Committee) have been active volunteers in the past two years. Like Perry (who lives on Sugarloaf), Holle lives on Summerland, offering more non Key West diversity to the Vestry.
Almost everyone knows Dean Warden, our long time cantor. But Dean is far more than a talented singer. He spends hours each week volunteering beyond his cantor duties, including managing the technical details (along with Tim Peterson) of broadcasting the services each week. In non-pandemic times he can be found volunteering at numerous musical events and fundraisers.
For delegate to the Diocesan convention, the Vestry has tapped Lilla Whiteside, a current member of the Vestry, a regular lector and a co-chair of the Search Committee. Lilla is also a former senior warden. For alternate delegate, Wendy Niven, known to all as the immediate past senior warden, head of the Altar Guild, lector, Eucharistic minister and all round super volunteer, has been asked to serve.
For the Memorial Foundation, the directors have nominated Don Curry and Isabel Steinkamp to continue on the Board. Both are well known leaders with sold records of past involvement in the parish and extensive experience in Foundation activities.
Finally, the parish needs to pass the proposed by-law amendment formally authorizing electronic meetings in times of crisis or emergency. The diocese is very keen on this happening. If the voice vote is overwhelming this too can be without a ballot. But we’ll be prepared to vote (including via Zoom) if necessary. A 2/3 majority is required.
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Next week I look forward to talking about spiritual things. Lent is right around the corner and I know we all want to turn our attention to our faith and expressing it in difficult times. Business matters must be dealt with, but I know we’ll all be happy when these housekeeping details have been completed on Sunday.
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Contacts:
Church office phone: 305-296-5142
Church mailing address: 401 Duval Street, Key West FL 33040. Pledges and offerings can be mailed here or made electronically at the church giving page.
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The Monthly "From the Organ" Concert Returns
From the Organ, February edition, will stream live on Facebook this Thursday, February 4, 2021 at noon. Tom Scheck, Dean Warden, Tim Peterson, and special guest, Linda Sparks (previous Director of Music/Organist at St Paul’s) will be playing. ALL previous “From the Organ” concerts can be found on our YouTube channel (or, from YouTube, search “From the Organ Tim Peterson”). We hope to see you there on Thursday.
Remember, you can find prior recordings of past concerts and musical offerings on St Paul’s Facebook page, or on YouTube.
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We Pray Each Day
Daily Morning and Evening Prayer is being offered on Facebook Live at 7:30AM and 500PM on weekdays.
Thanks to Bruce Hagemann, Lisa Laskow, Mary Simmons, Samantha Hall, Sarah Hall and Tim Peterson for volunteering to officiate at these sacred moments.
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.
Please pray this week for healing for
Brittany (Sherri Hodies’ daughter), Beth and Jon Peterson (sister-in-law and brother of Tim), Peter Nanos, Al (Kitty Robert’s partner), Mark Simcox, Susanne Woods, Christian Swanson, Crystal Cates, Charles (Chuck) Hammond, Joseph Lyles, Tom Bond, and the Curry family.
We pray for the departed and their loved ones:
Richard Curry.
"Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servants"
(Send your prayer requests to Tim@stpaulskeywest.org for future publication and to be included in the Sunday service. By default requests will be listed for four (4) weeks. But if the need continues, please let us know.)
We celebrate these January birthdays
Lonnie Gordon 1/01
Faye Graniela 1/01
Mark Whiteside 1/03
PK Lynch 1/09
Phyllis Sweeting 1/09
Nancy Campbell 1/11
Perry Hodies 1/11
Brittany Mariscal 1/14
Virginia Butler 1/15
Bob Hicks 1/16
Sue Decker 1/17
Lew Ann Cahill 1/18
Barbara Poole 1/19
Elizabeth Curry 1/22
Ruth Lamere 1/22
Juliette Hamilton 1/24
Samantha Langdale 1/24
Jeffrey Burnham 1/27
Richard Curry 1/27
Jeff Minalga 1/28
Julie Waters 1/28
Joshua McCloud 1/29
Carolyn Sangston 1/30
Lorraine Zimmerman 1/31
(If your name is missing from this month's birthday list please send a note to info@stpaulskeywest.org so we can add it.)
We Celebrate January Anniversaries:
Dave and Irene Eyer 1/02
Wendy Niven and Anthony Sperling 1/05
Jerry and Barbara Poole 1/10
Jeff and Janet Carr 1/12
George and Julie Wallace 1/14
Percy and Betty Curry 1/20
Mary and Dexter Simmons 1/25
Denise and Keith Graham 1/30
Susanne and Dean Schott 1/31
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Reminders
Sunday school is canceled during the virus emergency.
Back issues of The Epistle are available here.
Send questions and comments to the editor of this newsletter here.
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Tel. (305) 296-5142
Pastoral Emergencies (317) 414-4194
Office closed during the virus emergency
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