Welcome to  St. Paul's Episcopal Church Bailey's Crossroads Sunday Worship in person in our sanctuary and also livestreamed on Facebook June 20th at 10:30am

Click here for virtual service

‌

To read recent sermon transcripts, CLICK HERE

June 17, 2021

Greetings! We have all been in situations in our lives when the deck seemed to be stacked against us. Such situations usually revolve around a physical illness, or the dissolution of a marriage, or the loss of a job and a sense of purpose and identity as well as financial stability, or perhaps is was the handicap of a child that we couldn't 'fix' or the physical care of an ailing and aging parent. We've all been in one or more of these situations. We've all been in places where we felt the deck was stacked against us and triumph for us was beyond our reach. And yet, as we look back, we can see that the insurmountable life circumstance that threatened to destroy us never did. We are still here. In all likelihood, our lives have turned out differently than we thought they would...but in retrospect we can see the hand of God in so many places. And we can see the thread of God's love holding it all together for us when we were sure that all was lost. Our lives and our souls and our sanity held together...against all odds...because of God's love and tender care. Rev. Liz Tomlinson

David and Goliath Playing out the battle between good and evil The story of David and Goliath is one of the most well-known and beloved stories in the Old Testament. It is the quintessential story of the struggle for dominance between good and evil. The youngest of the band of older brothers in his family, David has spent much of his adolescence tending the family sheep. During that time, he developed multiple skills in slaying wild animals with weaponry that consisted of smooth stones and a slingshot. Those are hardly the weapons needed to slay a giant! But in David's skilled hands and with the intervention and blessing of God and against all odds, David is triumphant. It's not unusual as we study about God's presence in the lives of ordinary people just like us that we can see that some of the most obscure skills we ourselves developed doing things we had no choice about has prepared us for the major tasks in our lives. And through all of it we learned that God is always available to us; always with us; always ready when we call upon him; and faithful in his love for each of us. The outcomes may not be what we prayed for or hoped for or expected, but they are always filled with God's love for us. Come join us on Sunday morning at 10:30am in our sanctuary or our livestream broadcast on Facebook and marvel at the power of God in the lives of believers To access our Facebook page CLICK HERE

Giving our own Markeeta a 'send-off' THIS Sunday, June 20, 2021 After our worship service on Sunday, June 20, we will have an opportunity to tell Markeeta Belmar farewell and to wish her well on her quest for a degree as Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Southeastern University, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine in Clearwater, FL. She's rented an apartment there and her new address is 114 Hampton Rd., Apt. 307, Clearwater, FL. 33759. She has already touched base with Rev. Jamie Samilio who is the Rector of Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in Clearwater, so we know she'll be in good hands and she'll have some support if she needs it. If you would like to contribute to a financial gift for her to help her get settled in her new home and buy books for her new degree, please make out a check to St. Paul's Episcopal Church and put "Markeeta" in the memo line. We will present her with one monetary gift from the entire congregation at Coffee Hour after our service on June 20.

Rev. Liz is going on vacation Family Time The pandemic kept all of us apart from family and friends for such a long time...and now it's time to get reconnected! Rev. Liz will be spending some time with all her family on Long Island and will be staying with friends in Connecticut as well. She will be gone from the office beginning Thursday, June 24 and will return to the office on Thursday, July 8. Our Wednesday evening Bible Study will still be held on June 23 and June 30 and also on July 7...all at 7:00pm. While she's away, please take care of each other...as you always do!

Please Welcome our Supply Priests Sunday, June 27 and Sunday, July 4 Please welcome the Rev. Lucretia Mann as our supply priest on Sunday, June 27. She is a canonical resident of the Diocese of Washington. Before moving to Virginia to be closer to family she lived in California for most of her adult life. She's looking forward to meeting all of you! It might be helpful to her if you wore your nametags for that Sunday! Our supply priest for Sunday, July 4, will be the Rev. Paul Moberly who is the Assistant Rector at St. Alban's and has been our supply priest before. He will probably also appreciate it if you wore your nametag. Paul will also be on call during the two weeks of Rev. Liz's vacation in case anyone needs pastoral care. You will be able to reach him by calling our Parish Administrator, Linda Green at 703-820-2625. she has Paul's phone number and she will answer that number 24 hours a day. Please give them both a very warm St. Paul's welcome!

Coffee Hour is back! Many hands make light labor We have missed being able to gather in Fleming Hall after our morning worship service to share coffee and good times and just to catch up with each other and all the news. But we can now have Coffee Hour and visit with one another after our morning worship service. The Bishop asks that we not have Potluck meals, but that we provide single servings of food to eat (including pastries!) and, of course, coffee and soft drinks. We need hosts and hostesses. If you would like to coordinate Coffee Hour this Sunday, please contact Linda Green at 703-820-2625 or green@stpaulsbxr.org. It doesn't happen without you!!

Good News from Bishop Goff Excerpts from Letter to the Clergy Effective May 28, you are free and empowered to make the best decisions for your congregation about regathering for worship and holding other in-person activities. You may begin to regather without distance and capacity restrictions, as you and your congregation are ready. Think carefully about what you will require regarding masks. According to the CDC, those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks in every indoor setting. Until we have more information, please continue to refrain from using the common cup and a common loaf of bread during the Eucharist. I ask that you continue to offer communion in one kind (bread only) for the time being. As you move toward worshipping together in person, please consider how you might continue virtual worship in order to include those who do not yet feel safe coming to Church and those who have connected with the Church during the pandemic.  Recent CDC guidelines tell us that singing indoors by fully vaccinated people is a safe activity. Therefore, singing is once again permitted by choirs and congregations, as you feel comfortable. Those who are not vaccinated remain at risk, so you may choose to ask everyone to wear masks when singing. In addition to singing, we have missed gathering after church for informal conversation and social gatherings. Coffee hour and other activities with food and drinks may resume. Please think carefully about how food and drinks are served. For now, avoiding potlucks and offerings where many people touch the same food and utensils seems prudent. The safest options are individually served items. Please continue, on a weekly basis, to monitor the COVID-19 cases on your county and adjust your practices accordingly. 

Sunday morning worship services Livestreamed on Facebook While we are worshipping in person in our sanctuary at 10:30am on Sunday morning, we will still be broadcasting our service on Facebook livestream for you to enjoy our service in real time with our congregation. If you live too far away or are not vaccinated or are not yet ready to gather in person for worship, please tune in on Facebook to worship with us. To access the service on Facebook in real time CLICK HERE. You don't need to have a Facebook account to view our page. 

Next Summer Book Study Session~ Wednesday, June 23 at 7pm  Exploring the Implications of Evil Understanding the nature of evil and how to deal with it are skills that all of us need in navigating the world, in regulating ourselves and in following Jesus' command to us to love one another. First published in 1983, this book is a discussion between psychology and religion. Our faith is not disconnected from our psyche and we would serve God, our neighbors, and ourselves well to have a deeper understanding of the interface between these two forces. Each book study session runs for one hour. Wednesdays at 7:00pm thru September 1.  In the interest of convenience for all of us...and understanding that folks will be in and out of town over the summer...we will conduct this book study on ZOOM. Just think...you can lie on the beach or retreat to a cabin in the mountains and still go to your church's book study! This book can be purchased on Amazon. You do not need to be a member of St. Paul's to join this book study. If you are planning to come (parishioner or guest) please contact our Parish Administrator, Linda Green at green@stpaulsbxr.org and she will give you the ZOOM log-in information. We're looking forward to seeing lots of you!

Food Pantry at Columbia Baptist Church We've been invited to participate  Demographic Information from Culmore Clinic While 65 percent of our patients had some form of employment in 2020, their average annual income was only $10,945.I have spoken before of the dire economic status that our patients are in; but it is always worth reminding ourselves of it. Do you know that $10,945 is less than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level for a single adult? Can you imagine how you would wake up every day knowing that you had barely over $200 to get you through the week? And what if you get sick? Well then, of course, you have Culmore Clinic…. Information from Columbia Baptist: Right. $10,945.   Minimum wage in VA at present is $9/hour (I think). Full time job (2080 hours/yr.) yields $18,720 gross; minus FICA, etc. A one-bedroom apartment in Culmore (lowest rate) is $1300/mo.==$15,600/yr. BTW, Columbia's Food Pantry numbers are climbing again. In January, number of families per Saturday: 201, 245, 237, 247, 267. I suspect St. Anthony's and Dar Al-Hijrah are experiencing similar trends. Information for St. Paul's We have been invited to participate in the Food Pantry operation at Columbia Baptist Church on Glen Carlin Road. Here is the webpage with info about food donations: https://www.columbiabaptist.org/hunger-ministry/donate/ Each month the food focus changes a little. At present we're asking for-- Boxed Crackers Canned Hearty/Meal Soup (Progresso,, Healthy Choice, etc. or store brand equivalent) Pasta Sauce Vegetable Oil (bottles only) For St. Paul's (or any other church/group that does a food drive) we will arrange to receive your delivery at the Food Pantry. (No need to wait for our monthly Drive n Drop collections at the Falls Church Campus. Those are targeted at our parishioners and community neighbors in the city.) Just let me know, or email our Food Pantry Operation Manager (volunteer)--Amy Pototsky: foodpantry@columbiabaptist.org   Basically, the Food Pantry distributes on Saturdays, 9 - 10:30am. All welcome; no reservations/registrations. Walker and Drivers. Families receive 20-25 pounds of food, including an alternating item of fresh produce, which we purchase in bulk: apples, oranges, bananas, potatoes, onions, carrots. Right in our midst are people (children and adults) going hungry on a regular basis. They are right down the street from us and they need our help. Won't you help curb the hunger? If you would like to help co-ordinate the efforts of St. Paul's, speak to Rev. Liz or a member of the Vestry

Part time Bookkeeper...still Needed We're still searching St. Paul's is looking for a part time bookkeeper to work 6-8 hours per week keeping our financial house in order. This job might be perfect for someone who is retired or someone who wants to work away from home for a few hours each week. We need someone who is familiar with Quickbooks and who understands the specific needs of the Episcopal Church in terms of financial matters. If you know of someone you think would be good for this position, please speak to one of our Vestry members (June Jallah, Tam Mehuron, Dave Wright, Alvin Jones, or Lilian Marfo) 

The food pantry    Urgent calls have come from ACCA this month for donations to the food pantry. We have hungry people around us all year long, but especially now in this season of COVID-19 when so many sources of income have disappeared. St. Paul's continues to be both faithful and generous in supporting the ACCA Food Pantry and they need our help now more than ever. Your generosity is inspiring. If you have food to donate, please contact our Parish Administrator, Linda Green by e-mail at green@stpaulsbxr.org to make arrangements with her to drop off your donation. She is at the church several times a week to pick up the mail and keep the office running. She will be glad to arrange a time to let you in the building with your donation. Please continue to bring nonperishable foodstuffs for ACCA and place them in the wicker basket at the rear of the Sanctuary. We do need a volunteer to deliver our donations to the ACCA Food Pantry where they will be shared with those in need. Please contribute all that you can!

Bailey's Shelter & Supportive Housing Volunteer Opportunities   The next meeting of the Advisory Committee will be on Wednesday, July 14 at 7:00pm on ZOOM. Please let Rev. Liz know if you are interested in shelter operations or volunteer opportunities and she will give you information about how to access this meeting. If you would like to contact the Volunteer Coordinator Bianca Clark, directly, you can reach her by phone or e-mail.   Community & Volunteer Coordinator - Bailey's Shelter and Supportive Housing  New Hope Housing  5914 Seminary Rd Fairfax, VA 22041 Tel: 703-578-8852 bclark@newhopehousing.org www.newhopehousing.org   In the meantime, if you would like to make donations to the shelter, New Hope Housing has provided a Wish List (on Amazon) for the homeless who are moving into housing of their own which is SUCCESS! To access that list, please CLICK HERE. Please designate Bailey's Shelter and Supportive Housing, 5914 Seminary Rd., Falls Church, VA. 22041 when you place your order if you want your donation to go to this shelter. New Hope Housing manages a number of shelters around the county, so be sure to specify to New Hope that you want your donation to go to the Bailey's Crossroads Shelter. You can reach New Hope Housing at the Bailey's Shelter by calling 703-820-7621. You are helping to ease the way for our neighbors to get back on their feet! What an act of love!!

The Rev. Elizabeth W. Tomlinson  Priest in Charge 3439 Payne Street, Falls Church, VA. 22041 703-820-2625 Stay Connected to visit our website click here Visit us and like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stpaulsbxr