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Weekly
Postings
news & events
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August 2 - August 11, 2024 | |
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Dear People of Saint Paul's,
We're on the threshold of an exciting new program year at the church. Some of the regular activity we're about to start is sliding already into this weekend and the coming week. This Sunday is full of excitement, as breakfast returns beginning at 9:00, then our Sunday School holds an open house (complete with sundae bar) for elementary and middle schoolers at 10:00, and our back to school blessing for students, teachers, and school workers in the liturgy at 11:00. Then on Monday we'll be at Hornsby Elementary to greet the students on their first day of school. We'll eat together Wednesday night August 7 at the Men's Monthly Meal. And then next Saturday, our children's choirs will have a party at Mr. Shafer's house to kickoff their new year (details below).
And next Sunday our full programming for the new year is back. All the details about what's new and what's returning will be in next week's email. But I especially want to call your attention to our new program, Called into Being. If you missed the email invitation to join this program, you can find it here. I have very high hopes for this transformational program and hope that you can join us for it. But the program is based on small group work and we have a quick turnaround to begin meeting, so please sign up by emailing me soon!
Thank you to everyone who is working so hard to ramp up our activity by next week. It is going to be a fantastic year.
Eric+
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“Called Into Being” is designed to be the next step for Christians wanting to go deeper in their faith and find more purpose in their walk with God. In twelve meetings over four months, we will tell and listen to our own faith stories, and then engage those stories with others: the stories God is telling in the world, through the Church, and at Saint Paul’s.
By listening to our own stories, we’ll be able to ask where God is leading each of us and what that has to do with the Bible, the way we pray together, what we believe about God and reality, and so on. The program is a crash course in vocational training: in discovering, articulating, and exercising what God has called us to do and be—what the holy meaning of our lives is. But another way of describing it is just making sense of and integrating the stories that make up who we are.
We hope to fill two small groups this fall, with one meeting on weekdays and one meeting on weeknights. The specific dates and times can be settled by the schedules and preferences of each group. Please sign up by emailing Eric+ and indicating whether you prefer weekday or weeknight sessions, or are good for either. We will begin meeting the week after August 11, so please sign up by Friday, August 9 so we can quickly set schedules.
More details available here.
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A few months ago it was our great privilege to nominate Mary Painter for postulancy—a time of public discernment and training for ordained ministry. And then the implications set in: Mary would have to go away to seminary and then, God willing and the people consenting, would eventually serve as priest somewhere that will most likely not be here. Our loss is the gain of Christ's Church. The Painter family's move to Austin, Texas for her studies at Seminary of the Southwest is imminent.
It is our custom to send our folks away to seminary with a purse. The financial impact of a move to seminary is immense: the cost of the move itself, restricted work opportunities as a full-time student, so many books. I encourage you to give generously, for the good of the Church and the well-being of the Painter family as they continue to follow God's call.
Mary will remain firmly in our prayers. We are making plans to keep the whole parish updated on her progress. Give, pray, and stay tuned.
You may drop a check in the plate of mail it. Please annotate your check or gifts may be made online here, choose “Special Offering Misc.” and add a note Mary Painter. The Giving QR code included in Sunday's bulletin announcements can also be used for special offerings.
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EVENTS THIS SUNDAY | August 4 | |
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First Sunday Offering
Your generous non-pledged offerings (cash and designated checks to Fr. Biddy’s discretionary and Rev. Kimberly’s discretionary) on the first Sunday each month support our clergy’s Discretionary Account. These funds are used to meet urgent needs within our community, to further the ministries of the church when other funds are not available, and to support community programs and institutions that serve those in need.
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Sunday Worship Schedule for 08/04/24
8 AM Rite I
11 AM Rite II
11 AM Facebook Live
11 AM YouTube Live
5:30 PM - Celtic Evening Prayer & Communion
6:30 PM - Compline + Sit and Wait
All of our Sunday worship services are in-person.
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The Nursery will be open Sun, August 4
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
We are pleased to announce that the Saint Paul’s nursery is open for children 6 months to 4 years of age. The nursery will be available this Sunday morning beginning at 9:00.
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McDonald's Biscuits for Breakfast
Sunday, 9 - 10 AM Tyler Hall
Busy morning? Breakfast with your friends at Saint Paul's instead! We've added McDonald's biscuits to our Continental Breakfast. Donations welcomed.
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Sunday Forum: Summer Book Club
Sundays, 9:30 AM, The Berlin Room
This week: Sharing of our own experiences.
Sunday we will conclude our summer book club at the Adult Forum. For several weeks we’ve been discussing Mother Kimberly’s book, Experiencing God (edited with the Very Reverend Ian Markham). For our last week, we’ll be sharing our own experiences.
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Sundae Sunday
Children and Youth Open House
Sunday, August 4, 10-10:45 AM, CMC
Children and Youth Open House: Come on over to the Children’s Ministry Center for an ice cream sundae extravaganza. We will have an ice cream sundae station with ice cream, syrup, whipped cream, and ALL the toppings. You will have time to visit our classrooms, register your child, and hear about this exciting time in the life of Saint Paul’s.
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Back to School Blessing
Sunday, August 4, 11 AM service
We’re sending our students and educators back to school with our prayers and blessings. This is a wonderful opportunity to invite your friends to join us for this special service. All students, teachers, and administrators are encouraged to bring book bags, briefcases, or laptops to be blessed for the new school year.
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Celtic Evening Prayer and Communion
With Prayers for Healing
Sundays, 5:30 PM
Celtic Evening Prayer and Communion is a candle-lit service that emphasizes the contemplative side of worship, features some of Augusta’s best Celtic musicians, and offers prayers for healing for those attending, for others, and for the world. Come as you are and enter into a place of rest, prayer, and reflection.
Rob Foster is our guest musician this week.
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Sit and Wait this Sunday
Sundays, 6:30 PM, Chapel
Sit and Wait follows the Celtic Service Sunday evenings (6:30 PM). The service begins with a Service of Compline and will end with a twenty-minute sit. The people end in silence.
Please email Suzanne Pursley-Crotteau or contact by phone at (706) 910-9331 for further information.
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EVENTS NEXT WEEK | August 5 - August 11 | |
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FIRST DAY at Hornsby Elementary
Monday, August 5, 7:30 AM
Remember the first day of a new school year? How excited you were?
Help us create that same feeling for the kids at Hornsby Elementary. Be a greeter that first day and start their year on a happy note. All you have to do is show up at Hornsby on August 5 at 7:30 AM and greet kids as they arrive for school. Get your “High Fives” ready and be prepared for all the other little details that have a way of showing up at the last minute.
Let’s make a difference for Hornsby students and show them a little Saint Paul’s love. If you have questions, please email Barbara Coleman or call her at 706-495-1884.
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Mmm... (Men's Monthly Meal)
Wednesday, August 7, 6 PM, The River Room
The Men's Monthly Meal returns with a "Home-cooked Meal." On the menu: pork chops on the grill, collard greens, black eyed peas, fried okra, and cornbread with Jalapeño jelly. Join us Wednesday, August 7, 6 PM. The Men of Saint Paul’s will gather at 4 PM in the River Room to prepare the meal for the parish. Men, please sign up for cooking and clean up teams and everyone PLS. RSVP for dinner below. Donations welcomed. For more information contact Eric Friedman.
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Choir Rehearsals Begin
Saint Paul's Choir - August 7
Canterbury Choir - August 11
If you or any family or friends are interested in the choir program, please be in touch with Director of Music, Keith Shafer, (706) 724-2485 ext. 215, or by email at kshafer@saintpauls.org. The Saint Paul’s Choir (older teens and adults) begins rehearsals Wednesday, August 7, 7 PM and will sing Sunday, August 11. The Canterbury Choir (children in grades 3-9) begins rehearsals Sunday, August 11, 9:25-10:00 AM. Schedule details forthcoming for children Pre-K through second grade who sing in the St. Nicholas Choir.
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Compline - ZOOM
Wednesdays, 8 - 8:15 PM
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Join Zoom
Meeting ID: 595 177 454
Dial-In: (646) 876-9923
Password: Email the Parish Office to request.
Compline is a beautiful, simple, and quiet service to end the day together in prayer with God. This service is led by members of the parish using an on-screen bulletin so everyone may pray together.
Following the prayers, those who gather through Zoom have an opportunity for a mid-week visit.
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Mid-Week Eucharist
Thursdays, 11:30 AM
A mid-week Eucharist in the Chapel begins at 11:30 AM. Lunch in Tyler Hall follows at 12 noon with a weekly Bible study (more information below.) Join us as your schedule allows: Come for Eucharist and lunch, lunch and Bible study, or stay for all three. (So that we may honor mid-day schedules, lunch is scheduled for 15 minutes and will continue through the Bible study conversations.)
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Lectio at Lunch
Thursdays, 12 Noon, Tyler Hall
Every Thursday in Tyler Hall you’ll find a lunch combo that can’t be beat! We offer a tasty meal with a generous helping of fellowship, plus a lively discussion arising from the Gospel of Mark. Our text is N.T. Wright’s Mark for Everyone which takes this Gospel in small bites, reflecting on each week’s reading with relevant and important insights. We finish promptly at 1:00 PM and invite you to join us as your schedule allows. You may bring your own lunch or share in the meal provided. Donations accepted.
Questions? Contact Kitty Gordon.
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Sunday Forum Beginning August 11
The Epistle of James
Sundays, 9:30 AM, The Berlin Room
Martin Luther famously called the Epistle of James an “epistle of straw” and put it in an appendix to his translation of the Bible. The book has often been overlooked and denigrated since. And yet of all the letters in the New Testament, it may be the closest to the content of Jesus’ teaching ministry. We’ll read it carefully to start the program year, using the most recent scholarship on James to understand it and apply it to our lives today.
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Children's Choirs Begin
Sunday, August 11, following the 11 AM service
9:25 - 10 AM
The Canterbury Choir (children in grades 3-9 and the St. Nicholas Choir (Pre-K through grade 2) begin rehearsals next Sunday, August 11, 9:25-10:00 AM. There are no weekday rehearsals for the children’s choirs; all rehearsals are scheduled on Sunday mornings to accommodate busy family schedules!
The Canterbury Choir (grades 3-9) will begin the year with a Party on the River. Mr. Shafer is hosting Saturday, August 10, 10 AM-12 PM. Any children interested in singing with the choir are encouraged to come on Saturday. Contact Mr. Shafer for directions.
Singing in the choir gives youth and children a lifetime love for music and their own connection to worship. If you or any family or friends are interested in the choir program, please email Director of Music, Keith Shafer or call (706) 724-2485 ext. 215.
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Kick-off Sunday Celebration
Sunday, August 11, following the 11 AM service
We'll follow the 11 AM service, with hot dogs and games in the Churchyard. We will be playing games in the Churchyard so dress for fun and comfort!
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Children's Formation Classes Begin
Sunday, August 11, 10-10:45 AM
Children's Formation Classes meet 10-10:45 AM in the Children's Ministry Center. (Stop by August 4 for an ice cream sundae station, meet your teacher and complete a registration form.)
Grades PK-2 meet in the St. Francis Room for Godly Play with Sara Dimsdale and Kim Buter.
Children grades 3-5 meet in the St. Patrick Room for Weaving God's Promises with Kitty Gordon and Jackie Pingel.
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Middle School Formation Classes
Sunday, August 11, 10-10:45 AM
Our middle school formation (grades 6-8) meets Sunday morning in the St. Benedict Room. Mtr. Kimberly leads this class.
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EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) Kick-off
Sunday, August 11
Mary Lynn and Bill Ford will serve as youth leaders for EYC this fall and bring energy, enthusiasm, and a deep faith. Please join us for the EYC Fall Kick-Off Sunday, August 11 at Saint Paul's. Please join us for food, fellowship, and fun. Friends are always welcome! Contact Bill and Mary Lynn for more information.
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August Dates for your calendar
August 11 - The Book of James - Sunday Forum
August 17 - Master's Table Soup Kitchen
August 17 - Flower Guild Meeting
August 18 - Baptism Offered
August 19 - Vestry Meeting
August 22 - Caring Prayer
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W.E.E.M.
Women's Enrichment & Empowerment Ministry
Tuesday, August 13, 5:30-7 PM
Mark your calendar for the first gathering of WEEM (Women’s Enrichment and Empowerment Ministry), August 13, 5:30-7 PM. This new ministry’s mission is “to provide opportunities for all women to connect through prayer, fellowship, and education.” Join us in Tyler Hall second Tuesdays of each month for heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks. No childcare available. For more information, contact Mtr. Kimberly or Summer Bell.
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Master's Table Soup Kitchen
Saturday, August 17
8:15 AM for prep and 10:15 AM for serving
The Master’s Table Soup Kitchen at 702 Fenwick Street will be staffed by Saint Paul’s Church volunteers on Saturday, August 17, 8:15 am for prep and 10:15 am for serving. This is a good opportunity to get to know other parishioners while preparing and assisting in cooking and serving hot meals for guests in the community that are food insecure. If you wish to serve, please RSVP on our website (a direct link is available in the Weekly Postings). Contact Al or Laraine Yarbrough for more information.
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Baptism Offered
Sunday, August 18
We will celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism on Sunday, August 18. All who wish to be baptized or would like more information about baptism are invited to contact Fr. Eric.
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Open Sundays for Altar Flowers
August 25, September 8, and September 15 are open Sundays for altar flowers. If you would like to sponsor a Sunday in honor or memory of someone or “many someones,” please contact the Parish Office. The normal charge is a minimum of $125.
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Experience Cursillo
Honey Creek, September 19-22
Want to experience a deeper dive into what following Jesus is like for those of us in the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement? An upcoming retreat at Honey Creek will offer you a chance to reflect on the life of faith with other Episcopalians from Central and South Georgia.
Cursillo (pronounced ‘kur-see-yo’) is a Spanish word meaning ‘little’ or ‘short course.’ This is the name given to the Short Course in Christianity which first developed after World War II with Roman Catholic men. The short course has now been given to men and women around the world and in the process has assisted generations of Christians to more faithfully follow Jesus in their daily lives. There is no real secret here, just the basics of the faith with an emphasis on how would you like to live it out in your life.
The next Cursillo, #129, will be held at Honey Creek September 19-22.
Andrew Austin, Church of the Good Shepherd, is on the team for Cursillo 129. Email him If you'd like to know more about Cursillo.
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New Forward Day by Day has arrived
The new Forward Day by Day issue for August, September, and October has arrived and is available in the Narthex. Forward Day by Day is a booklet of daily, “page-a-day,” inspirational meditations, each reflecting on a specific Bible passage from the daily lectionary readings of the Episcopal Church. The meditations are rich in substance and offer a wide range of witness and experience.
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Gifts to Saint Paul's Church | |
Gifts can be made using the link below, on-line at saintpauls.org/giving, or by mail to Saint Paul’s Church, 605 Reynolds St., Augusta, GA 30901. Thank you for your generosity. | | | |
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