St. Paul’s United Church
Our Mission: Glorifying God through Worship, Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, and Serving Others in Christ’s name.
From the desk of Rev. Michelle…
I was in the pool this week and one of the ladies said that because of the headache she had been having, she thought the weather would turn and lamented that it was probably the end of summer. I hope the warm weather is not totally behind us, but I also see signs of fall approaching in our always early-turning tree, which is starting to bear its flaming red leaves.
I have just started rereading the book Praying Our Goodbyes. This book was given to me as I transitioned out of seminary and into active pastoral ministry, throughout its pages the author Joyce Rupp uses the seasons of the year in her exploration of the theological and emotional work of saying goodbye. She asserts that the seasons of change will come to us all and as we move through these experiences, there are parallels to the natural rhythms of creation from which we can learn. She reminds us that just like the cold days of winter, change and grief cannot be avoided. It is only by moving through, living with, and making peace with winter that we can fully experience the renewal of spring and the growth of summer.
Fall always brings changes, the cooler weather, children heading back to school, and the end of the golf and gardening seasons, but for us at St. Paul’s, this fall will have additional transitions. We are about 2 months from our final service at our current location. For many of us, the transition to a new home has brought about some level of grief. It is normal and natural for us to be sad and mourn, leaving the sanctuary and church building behind is like a death. This fall, we will be providing opportunities and outlets to share our grief and loss as we mark and remember our time in this church building. We will grieve, but we will not get stuck in our grief, for God desires for us life, joy, and peace.
Downsizing is part of the fall agenda, as is the finalizing of our plans for the move and how our ministry will operate going forward. Amid this important work there will also be times for celebration and joy. We have been asked by several people to host tours of the building, so keep your eyes open for more information on this. Sharon will be hosting an organ concert on October 4th, celebrating the full colours of the organ, and we will with your support continue to worship, serve our community and be the Church together!
In the meantime, let us enjoy what is left of this summer season. Worship this week is at Wilmot and I hope to see you as we join to worship with our siblings in Christ. Let us pray,
God of long summer days,
God of bright-coloured leaves,
God of dancing snowflakes,
God of tender new shoots,
We give thanks that you are with us in every season of this life
And for showing us the pattern of renewal and growth.
We ask for your presence as a big transition creeps closer
In our grief, bring comfort.
In our loss, bring us clarity of our purpose.
In our fears, bring your peace.
Help us to embrace each day with all of its joys and sorrows,
so that we may live fully this human life you have given us.
In Christ and through Christ we pray. Amen.
Featured In This August 15th Edition of St. Paul’s eNews
Worship This Sunday August 18th
Brown Bag Lunch Program
Pantry Program
Back To School Back Packs ~ School Supply Donations Wanted
September Worship
Moderator’s Book Club Returns
Summer Service Schedule
St. Theresa’s Twilight Retreat
Candlelight Concert Series At St. Paul’s
60th Anniversary Of The Women’s Inter-Church Of Fredericton
Worship This Sunday August 18th
Please join Wilmot for service this Sunday at 10:30am.
https://www.youtube.com/c/WilmotUnitedChurch?app=desktop
Brown Bag Lunch Program
This week, the program needs proteins with flip top lids, and pudding cups. Thank you for your continued support and generosity of this program.
Pantry Program
The Pantry program needs the following items this week: Laundry & dish detergent, Mr. Clean, Comet, paper towel, toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, white sugar, flour, cake mix, granola bars, cookies, large apple & orange juice, canned tuna, canned meats, rice, pudding cups, fruit cups, juice boxes, Hamburger helper, Stove Top stuffing, canned fruit, rice crisps, soda crackers, and ritz crackers. Thank you for your continued support of this increasingly busy outreach program!
Back To School Back Packs ~ School Supply Donations Wanted
St. Paul’s is collecting donations of school supplies to be distributed to 6 students in grades 3-8 that utilize our outreach programs. Items in need are backpacks, lunch sets, reusable water bottles, lined paper, coil notebooks, large zippered binders, dividers, pencil cases, markers, highlighters, pens, pencils, scissors, glue, rulers, math sets, etc. A donation tax receipt will be issued for items with a receipt. Items can be dropped off at the office Monday through Thursday from 8am-3pm. Cash donations are also welcome! If you know of someone in need of school supplies, please let Meghan know so they can be added to the list. Deadline for donations is August 16th.
September Worship
September 1st Worship starts up again in our building at 224 York Street. Our official fall kick-off Sunday will be September 8th. Plan to join us as we unveil this year’s theme and hand out wallet cards, magnets, and bag tags to help keep this theme in the foreground of this coming program year.
The worship committee will be meeting next week to plan out the early fall. If you have questions, comments or suggestions about worship or for the committee reach out to Rev. Michelle, chair Debbie West, or any member of the worship committee.
Moderator’s Book Club Returns
Over the last year our moderator has hosted a virtual book study exploring a wide range of books and topics. September the book club will be gathering again to explore and discuss the book Maximus Canada by Doug Saunders on September 26th. For more information and to sign up check out https://united-church.ca/community-and-faith/organization-and-governance/moderator/right-rev-dr-carmen-lansdowne-44th-moderator/flourishing-project/mods-book-squad
Summer Service Schedule
Please join us for Summer Services
Everyone is welcome!
WILMOT UNITED CHURCH & Via YouTube
473 King St. Fredericton | Tel. 458-1066
Sunday Services at 10:30am
August 18th | August 25th
https://www.youtube.com/c/WilmotUnitedChurch?app=desktop
St. Theresa’s Twilight Retreat
St. Theresa’s Catholic Women’s League, Fredericton, is hosting a Twilight Retreat on September 9th from 4:30-8:00 PM. Register by 4:15PM. It will be in the Church Hall at St. Theresa’s Church, 1 William Street. It will involve a Potluck supper. We start the retreat at 4:30 PM for 45 minutes then break for supper then another 45 minutes after supper. We will be finished by 8:00 PM. Our Facilitator will be Jim Anderson, Director of Missionary Discipleship Formation for the Diocese of Saint John. All are welcome, Men and Women as it is opened to everyone. Thank you. Deborah Heustis / Odette Craine, St. Theresa’s CWL
Candlelight Concert Series At St. Paul’s
Fever is presenting a Candlelight Concert Series in the sanctuary at St. Paul’s. Two Concerts on September 27th feature 1) Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, 2) A Tribute to Taylor Swift, and two on November 9th featuring 1) A Tribute to Coldplay, and 2) A Tribute to Abba. Tickets are ONLY available online. For more information and to purchase tickets CLICK HERE.
60th Anniversary Of The Women’s Inter-Church Of Fredericton
The Women’s Inter-Church of Fredericton will be celebrating their 60th Anniversary on September 28th at Wilmot United Church, 473 King Street, Fredericton at 2:00 PM. The Theme is “Shining the Light”. The entrance off Carlton Street has a lift device and fewer stairs and easier to get into the sanctuary. We will have the honour of Catherine MacKeil, Executive Director of the Women’s Inter-Church of Canada and Shirley DeMerchant, Past President of the Women’s Inter-Church of Canada present at our celebration. Following the Service there is a reception downstairs. All are welcome. Deborah Heustis, Publicity for the Women’s Inter-Church of Fredericton.
St. Paul’s United Church
190 Years of Glorifying God through Worship, Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, and Serving Others in Christ’s name
Contact Information
224 York St., Fredericton, NB E3B 3P1
Web: www.stpaulsunited.ca | Tel: 506-458-1183 | Email: stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com
Minister: Rev. Michelle Armstrong | Organists: Dr. Sharon Pond & Alexis Ervin
Church Administrator: Meghan Roebuck | Custodian: Jaedyn Williams