The legendary New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher, Yogi Berra (1925 – 2015) was known as much for his quotes as he was for his prowess on the baseball field. One of my favorite “Yogisms”  is “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” Yogi’s knack for creatively mangling the English language has left us with many head-scratching and belly laugh-inducing “quotable quips” – what gifts!

Earlier this week one of Yogi’s quotes jumped into my mind – this one was more poignant than funny: "It's like déjà vu all over again." If déjà vu is the feeling that one has already had an experience that they are currently having, then the “all over again” addition must mean that we have had the experience twice.

“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

To the People of Saint Paul’s:

This week began with joy and sadness. A beautiful baby was baptized at Saint Paul’s for the first time in a while. Events such as this are indicative of the future of our church and a reminder that life is a process of renewal even in its earliest stages. We know that other sweet angels are waiting, and we look forward to the day when we can welcome them into the Episcopal Church and witness their new birth in Christ. If you missed the service, you can watch it on YouTube and witness not only Grayson’s baptism, but also Fr. Jenkins’ last sermon at Saint Paul’s, which was an open letter to Grayson. Fr. Jenkins' love for our congregation shone clearly in his eyes and voice.

As we move into the season of Lent, please look for additional methods to connect with the Church and each other as we reflect, prepare, and examine our lives in preparation for Easter’s rebirth. We continue to be prohibited by Diocesan protocols from worshipping en masse, but opportunities for in-person prayer and contemplation in our familiar spaces are available.

Finally, new email addresses for our Priest-in-Charge and Senior Warden will be announced shortly to allow for more direct contact when needed. Until then, please continue to call the Church office should a need arise.

Ashley Wright

Senior Warden

Dear Community of Saint Paul’s,

The Rector Search committee has been hard at work since last summer and we are thrilled to announce the completion of our Parish Profile. The profile is an important instrument we will use to share the story of our ministries and Parish life, our strengths and challenges, and our priorities and hopes for the future of our church community. We are grateful to the many parishioners who participated in the Church Assessment Tool (CAT) survey this past summer and the Vestry listening sessions last year. Your perspectives, experiences, and opinions have been valuable in helping us understand where our church is now and in helping us create a vision for how we can grow more fully into being the church community God calls us to be.

We are now moving into the next phase of our search process. Our Parish Profile has been submitted to the Diocese and received approval. The profile will now be made available to clergy who may be interested in a call to a position here at Saint Paul’s. An accompanying document, the Ministry Portfolio, has been developed and will be posted on the database of the Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) for national clergy exposure. We welcome suggestions for potential candidates from our parishioners and invite you to contact us for conversation or questions about the process (rectorsearch@saintpauls.org). You may also find detailed information about the search process by clicking “Rector Search” on our church website.

We are excited about moving into this next phase of our search, and we ask for you to continue to keep this committee and all of our church family in your prayers.

In Christ,

Saint Paul’s Rector Search Committee

Six years ago, John Jenkins came to Saint Paul’s not yet ordained and full of energy. Since then, he publicly affirmed his belief in the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church through his ordination. He has grown in his position as Associate Priest to the Priest-in-Charge, and he has led us with him on this journey. His commitment to our Church encompassed many avenues, including tremendous support for the outreach projects. Fr. Jenkins will leave us this weekend as he prepares for a new role at Saint Stephens’ Church in Richmond, Virginia.  We send with him our deepest personal affection, our prayers for success in his new calling, and our gratitude for his faithful service to Saint Paul’s Church. Should you wish to make a gift to Fr. Jenkins to show your thanks, please send your contribution to the Church office and ensure that it is marked for Fr. Jenkins.

If you have not completed a pledge card, please complete this year’s annual stewardship appeal and return it to the church as soon as possible, or pledge online on our website at saintpauls.org/pledge-card/. 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.

as of 2/17/21

Please contact the Parish Office to update our files.