The Lord said to Moses: Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.
Exodus 13:1-2
Kindred in Christ,
Happy October! Today we move into another month, and there is something special about the first day of a new month. Like the dawn of each day, the start of the month gives us a chance to plan ahead, start something new, and get excited about what is on the way. In church life, the start of the month is much the same. We can look at new ways of giving, new ways of serving, new ways to follow in Christ’s way!
As we work together to be the church in the world, there are more and more ways for you to offer your gifts of time, talent, and treasure to enrich what we do in worship, and what we do in the community.
Keep reading to see where your gifts might best be share:
Looking for Singers!: We have been lucky to have Alexis, Muriel, and Ralph sing for us over the last few months, and their voices will continue to guide us through worship in the month of October. But variety is the spice of life, and your voice could be a part of what makes St. Paul’s a wonderful place to worship, even in the midst of these strange and difficult times.
If you would like to offer your voice, you are invited to contact Rev. Richard to sort out a date to either sing in pearson or record some music for future worship services. You can contact him at (506)262-2150 or by email at rev.bowley@outlook.com to join your voice with our worship experience!
Choir Director Retiring: Many of you will have heard by now that our Choir Director Alexis Ervin will be retiring from her position. There are not enough words to express our appreciation for all that she has done over the years for this community of faith. We have been blessed by her gift, her teaching spirit, and her music. We will miss your leadership in the choir, but will do our best to hold onto all that you have shown us along the way!
Community of Faith Profile: With Rev. Richard leaving at the end of this year, it is time to look at our Community of Faith Profile. This is something like the Joint Needs Assessment Reports from a few years ago, but where a JNAC is about finding a minister, writing a Faith Profile gets us to put to paper who we are as followers of Christ. It allows us to articulate how we serve and what we are passionate about. This process will begin soon, but it cannot begin until we have at least 6 people willing to do this important work. The Regional body of Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters will appoint a representative to walk with us through the work, but it is our work. So far we have 2 volunteers: Derrick Grant and Roger Miller. We need at least 4 more people for this project, and ideally a mix of perspectives would be great (age, gender, new member, long-time member). And if you feel like you haven’t been at St. Paul’s long enough to help here, we want you to know that your voice is welcome – and important – in this process as well.
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Rev. Richard at rev.bowley@outlook.com. This work we do together will help to shape St. Paul’s in the years ahead!
Fundraising Opportunity: Are you looking for ways to give more to the church? Do you wish you could give more, but live on a budget? Fundscrip can help here! Check out the questions below, and see how many you answer yes to:
- Do you buy groceries?
- Do you buy gas?
- Do you buy coffee, tea, or other cafe beverages?
- Do you buy building supplies?
- Do you shop on Amazon?
- Do you get people gift cards as presents?
- Do you buy office supplies, clothes, electronics, or books?
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, then you can give more to the church! Fundscrip works with retailers that we use everyday so that a percentage from gift cards bought through Fundscrip goes right back to the church.
Here’s how it works:
- Order gift cards for the retailers you know you are going to use from the church (groceries, gas, and coffee are regulars for me)
- Use that card when you make your purchases
- A percentage of whatever cards you get goes back to the church (most retailers offer 2%-10% back).
To get this off the ground, we need 2 or 3 people to make sure we get our orders in to Fundscrip, and then get the cards out to you! So, what do you think? Can you give more simply by buy thing those things you were going to buy anyway?
For more information contact Rev Bowley at rev.bowley@outlook.com.
World Communion Sunday: This Sunday, October 4th, we are going to be celebrating the Holy Sacrament of Communion, and yes, so long as we are safe to gather in the sanctuary, we will have elements (pre-packaged juice and wafer) for you! For those at home, we encourage you to get some bread and juice (or a suitable alternative) and join us on Zoom! ***Please note: The pre-packaged elements are not gluten free, and do contain red dye. If you are joining us for in-person worship and have sensitivities/allergies, we invite you to bring your own elements, though ask that you do not share them with others..
Sunday School On Hold: We received a recommendation from the Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Region to refrain from having in-person Sunday School until later October/early November. Although disappointing, we look forward to the time we can host our young people again! Until then, stay tuned for Christian Education home learning options for your family!
Worship In-Person or by Zoom: We continue to live into a hybrid worship where we have seats available for those who would like to worship in-person, but will continue to offer streamed worship through Zoom. However you join us, we are glad to have you!.
- The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85811548808
- The password for this meeting room is: 200188
- For those who would prefer to call in the number is: 1 647 558 0588 then use the Meeting ID: 858 1154 8808, and then enter the passcode 200188 when prompted
Step-by-Step From Sidewalk to Pew, and Back Again: For a number of weeks, we had a step-by-step guide in our eNews for how you will move into and out of worship. For a refresher on this, check out previous eNews posts on the website: http://www.stpaulsunited.ca/posts/
Pastoral Concerns & Hospital Visitation: Rev. Richard is still available for visits, even with the continued pandemic. If you would like him to stop by for a chat, call (506)262-2150 or email him at rev.bowley@outlook.com.
If you or someone you know is in hospital, restrictions have been loosened there as well. Clergy are now allowed to visit people who are in hospital so long as a direct request is made to the minister, with a room number. Call or email any time and Rev. Richard will get to the hospital as soon as he is able.
Office Coverage: Eric will be out of the office Thursday October 1st also the following Monday October 5th through Thursday October 8th. There will be coverage from 10-2 each day to connect with someone in the office to pick up or drop off. We are very grateful for our volunteers helping. Thank you.
Today’s eNews is pretty full, but it is also a sign of our life as a church in the midst of a pandemic finding its feet. Because what we do here is not for us, but for the good of the community in the name of a God of Love! And that is an important part that comes out of our centering scripture at the beginning of this eNews. In it, God claims the people, not in a jealous way, but in loving way. God points to each of us says “mine” because it is to God we belong, in God’s name we serve, and with God that we walk this world.
As you start of this month and make your way into the weekend, take this prayer with you:
We are yours, O God.
The breath that brings life comes from you.
Our creative spirit is inspired by your own.
The love that we are capable of sharing is an extension of your love for us.
We are yours, O God, and you are ours.
Work in and through us as we find deeper unity with you and with one another. AMEN
Yours in Christ
Rev. Richard Bowley